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THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY

THE STORY

OF THE ODYSSEY

BY THE

REV. ALFRED J. CHURCH, M.A.

LATELY PROFESSOR OF LATIN IN UNIVERSITY COLLEGE, LONDON

WITH ILLUSTRATIONS AFTER FLAXMAN

Itfeto gork
THE MACMILLAN COMPANY

LONDON : MACMILLAN & CO., LTD.
IQOO

Set up and electrotyped October, 1891. Reprinted May, 1892;
November, 1893; April, December, 1894; August, October, 1897;
July, 1900.

Nottoooti Jircss

J. S. Cushing & Co. — Berwick & Smith
Norwood Mass. U.S.A.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER PAGE

I. THE COUNSEL OF ATHENE i

II. THE ASSEMBLY 12

III. NESTOR'S TALE 22

IV. IN SPARTA 34

V. MENELAUS'S TALE 42

VI. ULYSSES ON HIS RAFT 55

VII. NAUSICAA 70

VIII. ALCINOUS 79

IX. THE PILEACIANS 87

X. THE CYCLOPS 100

XI. ^EOLUS; THE L^ESTRYGONS; CIRCE . . . 119

XII. THE DWELLINGS OF THE DEAD 137

XIII. THE SIRENS ; SCYLLA ; THE OXEN OF THE

SUN 156

XIV. ITHACA 172

XV. EUM^EUS, THE SWINEHERD 186

XVI. THE RETURN OF TELEMACHUS 200

XVII. ULYSSES AND TELEMACHUS 213

XVIII. ULYSSES IN HIS HOME 227

vi CONTENTS.

CHAPTER PAGE

XIX. ULYSSES IN HIS HOME (continued) . . . 238

XX. ULYSSES is DISCOVERED BY HIS NURSE . . 250

XXI. THE TRIAL OF THE Bow 263

XXII. THE SLAYING OF THE SUITORS 275

XXIII. THE END OF THE WANDERING 281

XXIV. THE TRIUMPH OF ULYSSES 287

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

->o*

PAGE

PENELOPE SURPRISED BY THE SUITORS 14

NESTOR'S SACRIFICE 22

PENELOPE'S DREAM 53

ULYSSES FOLLOWING THE CAR OF NAUSICAA .... 78

ULYSSES WEEPS AT THE SONG OF DEMODOCUS .... 89

ULYSSES GIVING WINE TO POLYPHEMUS no

ULYSSES AT THE TABLE OF CIRCE 130

MORNING 156

ULYSSES ASLEEP LAID ON HIS OWN COAST BY THE

PH^ACIAN SAILORS 176

ULYSSES CONVERSING WITH EUM^EUS 187

ULYSSES AND HIS DOG 231

ULYSSES PREPARING TO FIGHT WITH IRUS 238

EURYCLEA DISCOVERS ULYSSES 26l

PENELOPE' CARRYING THE Bow OF ULYSSES TO THE

SUITORS 269

ULYSSES KILLING THE SUITORS 275

THE MEETING OF ULYSSES AND PENELOPE 284

vii

THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

CHAPTER I.

THE COUNSEL OF ATHENE.

WHEN the great city of Troy had been
taken, all the chiefs who had fought against
it set sail for their homes. But there was
wrath in heaven against them, so that they did
not find a safe and happy return. For one
was shipwrecked, and another was shamefully
slain by his false wife in his palace, and others
found all things at home troubled and changed,
and were driven to seek new dwellings else-
where ; and some were driven far and wide
about the wrorld before they saw their native
land again. Of all, the wise Ulysses was he
that wandered farthest and suffered most, for
when ten years had well-nigh passed, he was
still far away from Ithaca, his kingdom.

2 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

The gods were gathered in council in the
hall of Olympus, all but Poseidon, for he had
gone to feast with the Ethiopians. Now
Poseidon was he who most hated Ulysses,
and kept him from his home.

Then spake Zeus among the immortal gods:
" What an idle thing it is that men lay the
blame for what they suffer on the gods ! See
how ^Egisthus hath paid the penalty of his
misdeeds. For he took the wife of King Aga-
memnon, and slew the King when he had come
back to his home ; and this he did though we
warned him against such wickedness, sending
to him Hermes, our messenger; and now he
hath paid the price ! '

Then Athene made answer : " Verily, he
hath well earned his fate. So perish all that
do such deeds ! It is for Ulysses that my
heart is rent. Sore affliction doth he suffer in
the island of the sea, where the daughter of
Atlas keepeth him, seeking to make him forget
his native land. And he, yearning to see
though it were the smoke rising up from the
land of his birth, is fain to die. And thou

THE COUNSEL OF ATHENE. 3

reo-ardest it not at all. Did he not offer thee

many sacrifices in the land of Troy? Where-
fore hast thou such wrath against him ? '

To her Zeus made reply: "What is this
that thou sayest, my daughter? It is Poseidon
that hath great wrath against Ulysses, because
he blinded his son Polyphemus the Cyclops.
But come, let us take counsel together that he
may return to his home, for Poseidon will not
be able to contend against us all."

Then said Athene : " If this be thy will,
then let us speed Hermes the messenger to
the island of Calypso, and let him declare to
the goddess our purpose that Ulysses shall
return to his home. And I will go to Ithaca,
and stir up the spirit of his son Telemachus,
that first he speak out his mind to the suitors
of his mother who waste his substance, and
next that he go to Sparta and to Pylos, seek-
ing tidings of his father. So shall the youth
win good report among men."

So she went to Ithaca, and there she took
upon her the form of Mentes, who was chief of
the Taphians.

4 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

Now there were gathered in the house of
Ulysses many princes from the islands, suitors
of the Queen Penelope, for they said that
Ulysses was dead, and that she should choose
another husband. These were gathered to-
gether, and were sitting playing draughts and
feasting. And Telemachus sat among them,
vexed at heart, for they wasted his substance ;
neither was he master in his house. But when
he saw the guest at the door, he rose from his
place, and welcomed him, and made him sit
down, and commanded that they should give
him food and wine. And when he had ended
his meal, Telemachus asked him of his busi-
ness.

Thereupon the false Mentes said : " My name
is Mentes, and I am King of the Taphians, and
I am sailing to Cyprus for copper, taking iron
in exchange. Now I have been long time the
friend of this house, of thy father and thy
father's father, and I came trusting to see thy
father, for they told me that he was here. But
now I see that some god hath hindered his
return, for that he is yet alive I know full

THE COUNSEL OF ATHENE. 5

well. But tell me, who are these that I see ?
Is this the gathering of a clan, or a wedding
feast ? Truly, a wise man would be wroth to
see such doings."

Telemachus made answer : " O sir, while my
father was yet alive, our house was rich and
honoured ; but now that he is gone, things are
not well with me. I would not grieve so
much had he fallen in battle before Troy;
then had the Greeks builded a great barrow
for him, and even for his son, had he won
great renown. But now the storms of the sea
have swept him away. No honour hath he,
and I am left in sore distress. For these
whom thou seest are the princes of the islands
that come here to woo my mother. She
neither refuseth nor accepteth ; and meanwhile
they sit here, and waste my substance."

Then said the false Mentes : " Now may
the gods help thee ! Thou art indeed in sore
need of Ulysses. Would that he could come
and stand at the entering in of the gate with
helmet and shield and a spear in either hand,
such as he was when he came to my father's

6 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

house from Ephyra ! Thither he had gone
seeking from Ilus, who was King of the land,
a deadly drug wherewith to anoint his arrows.
But Ilus, because he had the gods in awe,
would not give it to him ; but my father gave
it, so much did he love him. But all these
things are with the gods, whether he shall
come back or no. But now hearken to my
counsel. First call an assembly of the people.
Bid the suitors go back, each man to his
home ; and as for thy mother, if she be moved
to wed, let her return to her father's house,
that her kinsfolk may furnish a wedding feast,
and prepare gifts such as a daughter well
beloved should have. Afterwards do thou fit
up a ship with twenty oars, and go, inquire
concerning thy father, if haply some man may
give thee tidings of him ; or, may be, thou
wilt hear a voice from Zeus concerning him.

Go to Pylos first, and afterwards to Sparta,
where Menelaiis dwelleth, who of all the
Greeks came back the last to his home. If
thou shouldest hear that he is dead, then come
back hither, and raise a mound for him, and

THE COUNSEL OF ATHENE. 7

pay thereon due burial rites, and give thy
mother to a husband. And when thou hast
made an end of all these things, then devise
in thy heart how thou mayest slay the suitors,
whether it be by force or craft, for it is time
for thee to have the thoughts of a man. Dost

thou not know what glory Orestes won among
men, for that he slew ^Egisthus, the slayer of
his sire ? '

Then said Telemachus : " Thou speakest
these things out of a friendly heart, as a father
might speak to his son, nor will I ever forget
them. But now, I pray thee, abide here for
a space, that I may give thee a goodly gift,
such as friends give to friends, to be an heir-
loom in thy house."

But the false Mentes said, " Keep me no
longer, for I am eager to depart; give me thy
srift when I shall return.'

So the goddess departed ; like to an eagle of
the sea was she as she flew. And Telemachus
knew her to be a goddess as she went.

Meanwhile Phemius the minstrel san^ to

the suitors, and his song \vas of the ill return

8 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

that the Greeks had from Troy through the
counsel of Athene.

When Penelope heard the song, she came
down from the upper chamber where she sat,
and two handmaids bare her company. And
when she came to where the suitors sat, she
stood by the gate of the hall holding her
shining veil before her face. Then spake she
to the minstrel, weeping the while, and said :
" Phemius, thou knowest many songs concern-
ing the deeds of gods and men ; sing, there-
fore, one of these, and let the guests drink the
wine in silence. But stay this pitiful strain,
for it breaketh my heart to hear it. Surely,
of all women I am the most unhappy, so
famous was the husband for whom I mourn."

But Telemachus made reply : " Why dost
thou grudge the minstrel, my mother, to make
us glad in such fashion as his spirit biddeth
him ? It is no blame to him that he singeth
of the ill return of the Greeks, for ever do men
most prize the song that soundeth newest in
their ears. Endure, therefore, to listen, for not
Ulysses only missed his return, but many a

THE COUNSEL OF ATHENE. 9

famous chief besides. Go, then, to thy cham-
ber, and mind thy household affairs, and bid
thy handmaids ply their tasks. Speech be-
longeth unto men, and chiefly to me that am
the master in this house."

Then went she back to her chamber, for she
was amazed at her son, with such authority did
he speak. Then she bewailed her lord, till
Athene sent down sleep upon her eyes.

When she was gone, Telemachus spake to
the suitors, saying : " Let us now feast and be
merry, and let there be no brawling among us.
It is a good thing to listen to a minstrel that
hath a voice as the voice of a o>od. But in the

morning let us go to the assembly, that I may
declare my purpose, to wit, that ye leave this
hall, and eat your own substance. But if ye
deem it a better thing that ye should waste
another man's goods, and make no recom-
pense, then work your will. But certainly
Zeus shall requite you."

So he spake, and they marvelled all that he
used such boldness. And Antinoiis answered:
%' Surely, Telemachus, it is of the bidding of

10 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

the gods that thou speakest so boldly. There-
fore I pray that Zeus may never make thee
King in Ithaca, for, indeed, the kingdom is thy
rightful inheritance/

Then said Telemachus: " It is no ill thing
to be a king, for his house groweth rich, and
he himself is honoured. But there are others
in Ithaca, young and old, who may have the
kingship, now that Ulysses is dead. Yet
know that I will be lord of my own house and
of the slaves which Ulysses won for himself
with his own spear."

Thereupon spake Eurymachus, saying : " It
is with the gods to say who shall be King in
Ithaca ; but that thou shouldest keep thine own
goods and be lord in thine own house, no man
can deny. Never may that man come who
shall wrest thy substance from thee against thy
will ! But tell me, who is this stranger that
came but just now to thy house ? Did he
bring tidings of thy father ? Or came he on
some matter of his own ? In strange fashion
did he depart, tarrying not that we might know
him. Yet he seemed one of no mean degree."

THE COUNSEL OF ATHENE. 1 1

Telemachus made answer : " Verily, Eury-
machus, the day of my father's return hath
gone by forever. I make no count of tidings,
whencesoever they may come, nor do I regard
any divination wherewith any diviner may an-
swer my mother, when she entertaineth him in
her hall. But as for this stranger, he said that
he was Mentes, King of the Taphians."

So spake Telemachus, but in his heart he
knew that the stranger was Athene. Then the
suitors turned them to the dance and to the
song, making merry till the darkness fell.
Then went they each to his own house to sleep.

But Telemachus went to his chamber, pon-
dering many things in his heart. And Eury-
cleia, that had nursed him when he was little,
went with him, bearing torches in her hands.
He opened the door of the chamber, and took
off his doublet, and put it in the wise woman's
hands. She folded it, and smoothed it, and
hung it on a pin, and went forth from the
room, and pulled to the door, and made it fast.
And all the night Telemachus thought in his
heart of the journey which Athene had showed
him.

12 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

CHAPTER II.

THE ASSEMBLY.

WHEN the morning came Telemachus bade
the heralds call the people to the assembly.
So the heralds called them, and they came in
haste. And when they were gathered together,
he went his way to the place of meeting, hold-
ing in his hand a spear, and two dogs followed
him. Then did Athene shed a marvellous
grace upon him, so that all men wondered at
him, as he sat him down in his father's place.

First spake ^Egyptus, who was bowed with
many years, and was very wise. Four sons he
had. One had gone with Ulysses to Troy,
and one was among the suitors of the Queen,
and two abode with their father in the field.
He said : " Hearken to me, men of Ithaca !
Never hath assembly been called in Ithaca
since Ulysses departed. Who now hath called
us together ? If it be Telemachus, what doth

THE ASSEMBLY. 13

he want? Hath he heard any tidings of the
coming back of the host ? He, methinks, is a
true man. May Zeus be with him and grant
him his heart's desire ! '

So spake the old man, and Telemachus was
glad at the omen of his speech. Then he rose
up and said : —

" I have great trouble in my heart, men of
Ithaca, for first my father is not, whom ye all
loved ; and next the princes of the islands come
hither, making suit to my mother, but she
waits ever for her husband, when he shall
return. And they devour all our substance ;
nor is Ulysses here to defend it, and I, in truth,
am not able. And this is a grievous wrong,
and not to be borne."

Then he dashed his sceptre on the ground,
and sat down, weeping. And Antinous, who
was one of the suitors, rose up and said : —

" Nay, Telemachus, blame not us, but blame
thy mother, who indeed is crafty above all
women. For now this is the fourth year that
we have come suing for her hand, and she has
cheated us with hopes. Hear now this that she

14 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

did. She set up a great warp for weaving, and
said to us : ' Listen, ye that are my suitors.
Hasten not my marriage till I finish this web to
be a burial cloth for Laertes, for indeed it would
be foul shame if he who has won great posses-
sions should lack this honour/ So she spake,
and for three years she cheated us, for what she
wove in the day she unravelled at night. But
when the fourth year was come, one of her
maidens told us of the matter, and we came
upon her by night and found her unravelling
the web, even what she had woven in the day.
Then did she finish it, much against her will.
Send away, therefore, thy mother, and bid her
marry whom she will. But till this be done we
will not depart."

Then answered Telemachus : " How can I
send her away against her will, who bare me
and brought me up? Much forfeit must I pay
to Icarus, her father ; ay, and the curses of my
mother would abide on me. Wherefore, I can-
not do this thing."

So he spake ; and there came two eagles,
which flew abreast till they came over the

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THE ASSEMBLY, 15

assembly. Then did they wheel in the air, and
shook out from each many feathers, and tare
each other, and so departed.

Then cried Alitherses, the soothsayer : " Be-
ware, ye suitors, for great trouble is coming to
you, and to others also. And as for Ulysses, I
said when he went to Troy that he should
return after twenty years ; and so it shall be."

And when the suitors would not listen, Tele-
machus said : " Yet give me a ship and twenty
rowers, that I may go to Pylos and to Sparta,
if haply I may hear news of my father. And
if I hear that he is dead, then will I come back
hither, and raise up a mound for him, and per-
form for him due burial rites, and give my
mother to a husband."

Having thus spoken, he sat down, and
Mentor, whom Ulysses, when he departed, set
over his household, rose up in the midst, and
spake, saying: " Now henceforth never let any
king be kind and gentle in his heart or minded
to work righteousness. Let him rather be a

hard man and unrighteous. For now no man
remembereth Ulysses of all the people whose

1 6 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

lord he was. Yet was he gentle as a father.

If the suitors are minded to do evil deeds, I
hinder them not. They do them at the peril
of their own heads. It is with the people that
I am wroth, to see how they sit speechless, and
cry not shame upon the suitors ; and yet they
are many in number, and the suitors are few."

Then Leocritus, who was one of the suitors,
answered : " Surely thy wits wander, O Men-
tor, that thou biddest the people put us dowa
Of a truth, if Ulysses himself should come
back, and should seek to drive the suitors from
the hall, it would fare ill with him. An evil
doom would he meet, if he fought with them
that were more in number. As for the people,
let them go to their own houses. Let Mentor
speed the young man's voyage, for he is a
friend of his house. Yet I doubt whether he
will ever accomplish it."

So he spake, and the assembly was dis-
missed.

But Telemachus went apart to the shore of
the sea, and he washed his hands in the water
of the sea, and prayed to Athene, saying :

THE ASSEMBLY. 1 7

" Hear me, thou that didst come yesterday to
the house, and bid me take a ship, and sail
across the sea, seeking tidings of my father!
But the people delay my purpose, the suitors
stirring them up in the wickedness of their
hearts."

And while he prayed, Athene stood by him,
like to Mentor in shape and speech. She
spake, saying : " Thou art not, I trow, without
spirit and wit, and art like to be a true son of
Ulysses and Penelope. Wherefore, I have
good hopes that this journey of which thou
speakest will not be in vain. But as for the
suitors, think not of them, for they talk folly,
and know not of the doom that is even now
close upon them. Go, therefore, and talk with
the suitors as before, and get ready meat for a
journey, wine and meal. And I will gather
men who will offer themselves freely for the
journey, and I will find a ship also, the best in
Ithaca."

Then Telemachus returned to the house,
and the suitors were flaying goats and singe-
ing swine in the court. And Antinoiis caught

1 8 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY,

him by the hand and said, " Eat and drink,
Telemachus, and we will find a ship and
rowers for thee, that thou mayest go where
thou wilt, to inquire for thy father."

But Telemachus answered : " Think ye that
I will eat and drink with you, who so shame-
fully waste my substance? Be sure of this,
that I will seek vengeance against you, and if
ye deny me a ship, I will even go in another

man's.'

So he spake, and dragged his hand from the
hand of Antinolis.

And another of the suitors said, " Now will
Telemachus go and seek help against us from
Pylos or from Sparta, or may be he will put
poison in our cups, and so destroy us."

And another said : " Perchance he also will
perish, as his father has perished, Then
should we have much labour, even dividing all

his substance, but the house should we give to
his mother and to her husband."

So they spake, mocking him. But he went
to the chamber of his father, in which were
ranged many casks of old wine, and store of

THE ASSEMBLY. 19

gold and bronze, and clothing and olive oil ;
and of these things the prudent Eurycleia,
who was the keeper of the house, had care.
To her he spake : " Mother, make ready for
me twelve jars of wine, not of the best, but
of that which is next to it, and twenty meas-
ures of barley-meal. At even will I take them,
when my mother sleeps, for I go to Pylos and
Sparta, if perchance I may hear news of my
father."

But the old woman said, weeping : " What
meanest chou, being an only son, thus to travel
abroad ? Wilt thou perish, as thy father has
perished ? For this evil brood of suitors will
devise means to slay thee and divide thy
goods. Thou hadst better sit peaceably at
home,"

Then Telemachus said : " 'Tis at the bid-
ding of the gods I go. Only swear that thou
wilt say naught to my mother till eleven or
twelve days be past, unless, perchance, she
should ask concerning me."

And the old woman sware that it should be
so, And Telemachus went again among the

20 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

suitors. But Athene, meanwhile, taking his
shape, had gathered together a crew, and also
had borrowed a ship for the voyage. And, lest
the suitors should hinder the thing, she caused
a deep sleep to fall upon them, that they slept
where they sat. Then she came in the shape
of Mentor to the palace, and called Telemachus
forth, saying, " The rowers are ready ; let us

go."

Then Athene led the way, and they found

the ship's crew upon the shore. To them
spake Telemachus, saying, " Come now, my
friends, let us carry the food on board, for it is
all in the chamber, and no one knoweth of the
matter ; neither my mother, nor any of the maid-
ens, but one woman only."

So they went to the house with him, and
carried all the provision, and stowed it in the
ship. Then Telemachus climbed the ship and
sat down on the stern, and Athene sat by him.

And when he called to the crew, they made
ready to depart. They raised the pine tree
mast, and set it in the hole that was made for
it, and they made it fast with stays. Then they

THE ASSEMBLY. 21

hauled up the white sails with ropes of ox-hide.
And the wind filled out the sail, and the water
seethed about the stem of the ship, as she
hasted through the water. And when all was
made fast in the ship, then they mixed wine in
the bowl, and poured out drink offerings to the
gods, especially to Zeus.

So all the night, and till the dawn, the ship
sped through the sea.

22 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

CHAPTER III.

NESTOR'S TALE.

AT sunrise the ship came to Pylos, where
Nestor dwelt. Now it so chanced that the
people were offering a great sacrifice upon the
shore to Poseidon. Nine companies there
were, and in each company five hundred men,
and for the five hundred there were nine bulls.
And now they had tasted of the inner parts
and were burning the slices of flesh on the

thigh-bones to the god, when Telemachus's
company moored the ship and came forth from
it to the shore.

Athene spake to Telemachus, saying: " Now
hast thou no need to be ashamed. Thou hast
sailed across the sea to hear tidings of thy
father. Go, therefore, to Nestor, and learn
what counsel he hath in the deep of his heart."

But Telemachus answered, " How shall I
speak to him, being so untried and young? '

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NESTOWS TALE. 2$

" Nay," said the goddess ; " but thou shalt
think of something thyself, and something the
gods will put into thy mouth."

So saying she led the way, and they came
to where Nestor sat, with his sons, and a great
company round him, making ready the feast.
When these saw the strangers, they clasped
their hands, and made them sit down on soft
fleeces of wool. And Nestor's son Peisistra-
tus bare messes of the best, and wine in a cup
of gold. To Athene first he gave the wine, for
he judged her to be the elder of the two, say-
ing, " Pray now to the Lord Poseidon, and
make thy drink offering, and when thou hast
so done, give the cup to thy friend that he
may do likewise."

Then Athene took the cup and prayed to
Poseidon, saying : " Vouchsafe renown to Nes-
tor and his son, and a due return to the men
of Pylos for this great sacrifice. And grant
that we may accomplish that for which we
have come hither."

And the son of Ulysses prayed in like
manner.

24 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

When they had eaten and drunk their fill,
Nestor said : " Strangers, who are ye ? Sail
ye over the seas for trade, or as pirates that
wander at hazard of their lives ? '

To him Telemachus made reply, Athene
putting courage into his heart : " We come
from Ithaca, and our errand concerns our-
selves. I seek for tidings of my father, who
in old time fought by thy side, and sacked the
city of Troy. Of all the others, as many as
did battle with the men of Troy, we have
heard, whether they have returned, or where
they died ; but of this man even the death
remains untold. Therefore am I come hither
to thee, if haply thou mayest be willing to tell
me of him, whether thou sawest his death with
thine own eyes, or hast heard it from another.
Speak me no soft words for pity's sake, but
tell me plainly what thou hast seen."

Nestor made answer : " Thou bringest to
my mind all that we endured, warring round
Priam's mighty town. There the best of us
were slain. Valiant Ajax lies there, and there
Achilles, and there Patroclus, and there my

NESTOR'S TALE. 2$

own dear son Antilochus. Who could tell the
tale of all that we endured ? Truly, no one, not
though thou shouldst abide here five years or
six to listen. For nine whole years we were
busy, devising the ruin of the enemy, which yet
Zeus brought not to pass. And always Ulysses
passed the rest in craft, thy father Ulysses, if
indeed thou art his son, and verily thy speech
is like to his; one would not think that a
younger man could be so like to an elder.
But listen to my tale. When we had sacked
Priam's town, Zeus devised evil against the
Greeks in the matter of their return, for indeed
they were not all prudent or just, and they had
provoked the wrath of Athene. First there
arose debate between the sons of Atreus.
They called the Greeks to the assembly at the
going down of the sun, a thing which was
against order, and the people came heavy with
wine. Then Menelaiis charged them that they
should return across the sea without delay ; but
Agamemnon was minded to keep back the
host, and offer sacrifice to Athene, if haply he
might appease her wrath. Fool t for he knew

26 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

not that she was not to be persuaded. The
gods do not easily repent them of their pur-
poses. So the twain contended, and the Greeks
made a dreadful clamour. That night we

rested, bein^ wroth with each other. And the

next day we of the one part launched our ships,
and put on board our possessions and the spoil
we' had taken from Troy. One-half of the
people set sail, and one abode with Agamem-
non. And when we came to Tenedos there
arose fresh strife among us, for Ulysses turned,
back to Troy, but I went on my way, for 1
knew that the gods intended mischief against
us. Diomed also fled, and Menelaiis followed
after us, overtaking us in Lesbos. There we

o •

doubted whether we should sail to seaward of
Chios or within it. And when we asked the
god for a sign, he showed us that we should go
straight across the sea to Eubcea. Then there
arose a shrill wind, and the ships ran swiftly
before it. On the fourth day Diomed moored
his ships in Argos ; and I still sailed for Pylos
nor did the wind fail me till I came. So it is
that I know not of my own knowledge which

NESTOR'S TALE. 2?

of the Greeks was saved and which was lost.
But what I have heard, sitting here in my hall,
thou shalt know, and I will hide nothing from

thee. The Myrmidons, the people of Achilles,
came safe, and safe Philoctetes, and safe Idom-
eneus, with all them that the war had not
devoured. But of the son of Atreus ye have
heard vourselves how /Eonsthus slew him in

^ o

his hall, and paid a dreadful penalty therefor.
Verily, it is a good thing that a son of a dead
man should be left to take vengeance for him.
Only do thou, as thou art tall and comely, so
be valiant also."

Then said Telemachus : " Orestes avenged
his father, and gained great glory thereby.
Would that the gods might give me the like
strength, that I might take vengeance on the
suitors, who work me such ill ! '

Nestor spake : " Tell me, dost thou willingly
submit to this oppression ? or do the people of
the land hate thee ? Haply Ulysses himself
may come and requite them for their wicked-
ness. Yea, and if Athene cared for thee, as
she cared for him — never did I see a god show

28 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

such love to a man as did Athene to him —
then might some of these men forget their
thoughts of marriage."

But Telemachus answered, " Scarcely can
this be accomplished, old man ; no, not even if
the gods so willed it."

Thereupon Athene spake, saying : " What
word is this that thou hast said, Telemachus?
A god might bring a man back, even from far,
did he will it so. But death, which is the
common lot of all, the gods themselves cannot
avert."

Then Telemachus spake again : " Talk no
more of these things, Mentor. I would now ask
Nestor of another matter. Tell me now, son
of Neleus, how died King Agamemnon ? Where
was Menelaiis ? Was he not in Arsros, that

^Egisthus took heart and slew his brother ? '
Nestor made answer : " I will tell thee the
whole truth. While we were besieging Troy,
^Egisthus, sitting in peace in Argos, tempted
the wife of Agamemnon, the fair Clytemnestra,
to sin. At the first she scorned him, for she
was wise of heart. Also there was a certain

NESTOFS TALE. 29

minstrel to whom the King, when he de-
parted from his home, gave the charge of his
wife. But him ^Eo-isthus carried to a lonelv

O j

island, and left him there to be the prey of the
birds. After that he persuaded the wife of the
King. Many sacrifices did he offer, and many
gifts did he give to the gods, if haply he might
appease their wrath. Now, as for Menelaiis,
he and I sailed together from Troy. But when
we came to Sunium, which is the headland of
Athens, Apollo slew the pilot of the King with
his painless shafts. And the King was holden
there, for all that he was eager to go, that he
might pay due burial honours to his friend.
But when he sailed, then great waves rose
against his ships, and the fleet was divided.
Part was brought near to Crete, and there the
ships perished on a great headland that there
is looking towards the southwest wind, and the
men hardly escaped. But Menelaiis himself
was driven to Egypt with five ships. There
he wandered long among men of alien speech,
and gathered for himself much gold. While
he was there, even for seven years, ^Egisthus

30 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

bare rule in Mycenae, and the people were sub-
dued unto him. But in the eighth year the
goodly Orestes came from Athens and slew
him. avenging his father. On that self-same

O O

day came Menelaiis home from Egypt, bring-
ing much treasure in his ships. But wander
not thou, my son, far from home, while
strangers devour thy substance. Rather go to
Menelaiis, for he hath but lately come back
from a far country ; go and ask him to tell thee
all that he knoweth. If thou wilt, go with thy
ships, or, if it please thee better, I will send
thee with a chariot and horses, and my sons
shall be thy guides."

So he spake, and the sun went down.

Then said Athene : " Let us cut up the
tongues of the beasts, and mix the wine, and
make libation to Poseidon and the other gods,
and so bethink us of sleep, for it is the time.
It is not seemly to sit long at a banquet of the
gods, when the sun hath set."

So she spake, and they hearkened to her
words. And when they had finished, Athene
and Telemachus would have gone back to

NESTOFS TALE. 31

their ship. But Nestor stayed them, saying :
" Now Zeus and all the gods forbid that ye
should depart to your ships from my house, as
though it were the dwelling of a needy man
that hath not ru^s and blankets in his house,

<_>

whereon his guests may sleep ! Not so ; I have
rugs and blankets enough. Never shall the
son of my friend Ulysses lay him down on his
ship's deck, while I am alive, or my children
after me, to entertain strangers in my hall."

Thereupon said the false Mentor: " This is
good, dear father. , Let Telemachus abide
with thee ; but I will go back to the ship,
and cheer the company, and tell them all.
There I will sleep this night, and to-morrow
I go to the Cauconians, \vhere there is owing
to me a debt neither small nor of yesterday.
But do thou send this man on his way in thy
chariot."

Then the goddess departed in the semblance
of a sea-eagle, and all that saw it were amazed.

Then the old man took Telemachus by the
hand, and said : " No coward or weakling art
thou like to be, whom the gods attend even

32 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

now in thy youth. This is none other than
Athene, daughter of Zeus, the same that stood
by thy father in the land of Troy."

After this the old man led the company to
his house. Here he mixed for them a bowl
of wine eleven years old; and they made liba-
tions and prayed to Athene ; and when they
had drunk to their hearts' content they lay
down to sleep. Telemachus slept on a bed-
stead beneath the gallery, and Peisistratus, who
alone of Nestor's sons was unwedded, slept by
him.

The next day, as soon as it was morning,
Nestor arose and his sons. And the old man
said : " Let one man go to the plain for a
heifer, and let another go to the ship of Telem-
achus, and bid all the company come hither,
leaving two only behind. And a third shall
command the goldsmith that he gild the horns
of the heifer, and let the handmaids prepare all
things for a feast."

They did as the old man commanded ; and
after the sacrifice the fair Polycaste, that was
Nestor's youngest daughter, gave Telemachus

NESTOR'S TALE. 33

the bath, and anointed him with olive oil, and
arrayed him in a goodly mantle and tunic.
Then he sat him down by Nestor's side.

When they had eaten and drunk, old Nestor
said, " Put now the horses in the chariot that
Telemachus may go his way."

So they yoked the horses, and the dame that
kept the stores put into the chariot food and
wine and dainties, such as princes eat. And
Peisistratus took the reins, and Telemachus
rode with him. And all that day they jour-
neyed ; and when the land grew dark they
came to the city of Pherae, where Diocles,
son of Orsilochus, was King, and there they
rested ; and the next day, travelling again,
came to Lacedaemon, to the palace of King
Menelaus.

34 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

CHAPTER IV.

IN SPARTA.

Now it chanced that Menelaiis had made a
great feast that day, for his daughter Hermione,
the child of the fair Helen, was married to Ne-
optolemus, the son of Achilles, to whom she
had been promised at Troy ; and he had also
taken a wife for his son Megapenthes. And
the two wayfarers stayed their chariot at the
door, and the steward spied them, and said to
Menelaiis : —

" Lo ! here are two strangers who are like
the children of kings. Shall we keep them
here, or send them to another ? '

But Menelaiis was wroth, and said : " Shall
we, who have eaten so often of the bread of
hospitality, send these strangers to another?
Nay, but unyoke their horses and bid them
sit down to meat."

So the squires loosed the horses from the
yoke, and fastened them in the stall, and gave

SPARTA. 35

them spelt to eat and white barley mixed with
it, and led the men into the hall. Much did
they marvel at the sight, for there was a gleam
as of the sun or moon in the palace of Mene-
laiis. And when they had gazed their fill,
they bathed them in the polished baths. After
that they sat them down by the side of Mene-
lalis. Then a handmaid bare water in an ewer
of gold, and poured it over a basin of silver
that they might wash their hands. Afterwards
she drew a polished table to their side, and a
dame of reverend look brought food, and set it
by them, laying many dainties on the board,
and a carver placed by them platters of divers
kinds of flesh, and set near them golden bowls.

Then said Menelaiis : " Eat and be glad ;
afterwards I will ask you who ye are, for ye
seem like to the sons of kings. No churls
could have such children as ye are."

So spake he, and set before them the chine,
which was his own portion of the feast ; and
when they had! ended the meal, Telemachus,
looking round at the hall, said to his com-
panion : —

36 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

" See the gold and the amber, and the silver
and the ivory. This is as the hall of Olympian
Zeus."

This he spake with his face close to his
comrade's ear, but Menelaiis heard him and
said : —

" With the halls of the gods nothing mortal
may compare. And among men also there
may be the match of these things. Yet I
have wandered far, and got many possessions
in many lands. But woe is me ! while I gath-
ered these things my brother was foully slain
in his house. Would that I had but the third
part of this wealth of mine, so that they
who perished at Troy were alive again ! And
most of all I mourn for the great Ulysses,
for whether he be alive or dead no man
knows."

But Telemachus wept to hear mention of his
father, holding up his purple cloak before his
eyes. This Menelaiis saw, and knew him who
he was, and pondered whether he should wait
till he should himself speak of his father, or
should rather ask him of his errand. But

IN SPARTA. 37

while he pondered there came in the fair
Helen, and three maidens with her, of whom
one set a couch for her to sit, and one spread a
carpet for her feet, and one bare a basket of
purple wool; but she herself had a distaff of
gold in her hand. And when she saw the
strangers she said : —

" Who are these, Menelaiis ? Never have I
seen such likeness in man or woman as this
one bears to Ulysses. Surely' tis his son Telem-
achus, whom he left an infant at home when
ye went to Troy for my sake ! '

Then said Menelaiis : " It must indeed be so,
lady. For these are the hands and feet of
Ulysses, and the look of his eyes and his hair.
And but now, when I made mention of his
name, he wept, holding his mantle before his
face."

Then said Peisistratus : " King Menelaiis,
thou speakest truth. This is indeed the
son of Ulysses, who is come to thee, if haply
thou canst help him by word or deed."

And Menelaiis answered : " Then is he the
son of a man whom I loved right well. I

38 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

thought to give him a city in this land, bring-
ing him from Ithaca with all his o^oods. Then

o o

might we often have companied together, nor
should aught have divided us but death itself.
But these things the gods have ordered other-

wise.'

At these words they all wept — the fail-
Helen and Telemachus and Menalaiis ; nor
could Peisistratus refrain himself, for he
thought of his dear brother Antilochus, whom
Memnon, son of the Morning, slew at
Troy.

Thus thinking, he spake to Menelalis, say-
ing, " Son of Atreus, Nestor hath ever said of
thee that thou art wise beyond all other men.
Yet I would have thee listen to me, for I for
one have no pleasure in weeping when we sit
at supper time. I blame not indeed these who
weep for him that hath died. This, indeed, is
all the due that we can pay to the dead, to
cut the hair and to weep. And I too have a
brother dead, not the meanest of the Greeks,
whom thou must have known. I never, in-
deed, beheld him, but men say that Antilochus

IN SPARTA. 39

was excellent in speed of foot and in the

fight."

To him Menelalis made reply : " Thou hast
said all that a wise man might say ; yea,
though he were older than thou. Fitting it is
that thou shouldest speak wisely, being sprung
from such a sire. But now will wre cease from
weeping; and to-morrow there is much that
Telemachus and I must say one to the other."

Then the fair Helen put a mighty medicine
in the wine whereof they drank — nepenthe
men call it.. So mighty is it that whosoever
drinks of it, that day he weeps not, though
father and mother die, and though men slay
brother or son before his eyes. Polydamna,
wife of King Thoas, had given it to her in
Egypt, where, indeed, many medicines grow
that are mighty both for good and ill."

And after this she said : " It were long to
tell all the wise and valiant deeds of Ulysses.
One thing, however, ye shall hear, and it is
this : while the Greeks were before Troy he
came into the city, having disguised himself
as a beggar-man, yea, and he had laid many

40 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

blows upon himself, so that he seemed to have
been shamefully entreated. I only knew him
who he was, and questioned him, but he an-
swered craftily. And afterwards, when I had
bathed him and anointed him with oil, I swore
that I would not tell the thing till he had gone
back to the camp. So he slew many Trojans
with the sword, and learnt many things. And
while other women in Troy lamented, I was
glad, for my heart was turned again to my
home."

Then Menelaiis said : " Thou speakest truly,
lady. Many men have I seen, and travelled
over many lands, but never have I seen one
who might be matched with Ulysses. Well
do I remember how, when I and other chiefs
of the Greeks sat in the horse of wood, thou
didst come, Dei'phobus following thee. Some
god who loved the sons of Troy put the thing
into thy heart. Thrice didst thou walk round
our hiding-place and call by name to each one
of the chiefs, likening thy voice in marvellous
fashion to the voice of his wife. Then would
Diomed and I have either risen from our place

IN SPARTA. 41

or answered thee straightway. But Ulysses
hindered us, so saving all the Greeks."

But Telemachus said : " Yet all these things
have not kept him, but that he has perished."

And after that they slept.

42 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

CHAPTER V.

MENELAUS'S TALE.

THE next day Menelaiis said to Telemachus :
" For what end hast thou come hither to fair
Lacedaemon ? Is it on some matter of the
common weal, or on business of thine own ? '

Then Telemachus said : "I have come, if
haply thou canst tell me aught, of my father.
For certain suitors of my mother devour my
goods, nor do I see any help. Tell me, there-
fore, true, sparing me not at all, but saying if
thou knowest anything of thyself, or hast
heard it from another ? '

And Menelaiis answered : " It angers me to
hear of these cowards who would lie in a brave
man's bed. So a hind lays its young in a
lion's den, but when he comes he slays both
her and them. So shall it be with these in the
day when Ulysses shall come back. But as to
what thou askest me, I will answer clearly and
without turning aside.

MENELAUS^S TALE. 43

" In the river /Egyptus I was stayed long
time, though I was eao;er to ^et me home ; the

o o o

gods stayed me, for I had not offered to them
due sacrifice. Now there is an island in the
wash of the waves over against the land of
Egypt — men call it Pharos, and it is distant
one day's voyage for a ship, if the wind blow-
eth fair in her wake. Here did the gods keep
me twenty days, nor did the sea winds ever
blow. Then had all my corn been spent, and
the lives also of my men, but that the daughter
of Proteus had pity on me. Her heart was
moved to see me when I wandered alone, apart
from my company, for they all roamed about
the island, fishing with hooks because hunger
gnawed them. So she stood by me and spake,
saying : ' Art thou foolish, stranger, and feeble
of wit, or dost thou sit still for thine own
pleasure, because it is sweet to thee to suffer?
Verily, thou stayest long in this place, and
canst find no escape, while the heart of thy
people faileth within them.' Then I an-
swered : ' I will tell thee the truth, whosoever
thou art. It is not my own will that holdeth

44 THE S'l'ORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

me here; I must needs have sinned against
the o;ods. Tell me now which of the £ods

o o

have I offended, and how shall I contrive to
return to my own home ? ' So I spake, and
straightway the goddess made answer: ' I will
tell thee all. To this place resorteth Proteus,
who knoweth the depths of all the sea. My
father is he. If thou couldst lay an ambush
for him and catch him, he will declare to thee
thy way, how thou mayest return across the
deep. Also he will show thee what good and
what evil have happened within thy halls while
thou hast been wandering far away.' So she
spake, and I made reply, ' Devise thyself this
ambush, lest by any chance he see me first
and avoid me, for it is hard for a man to over-
come a god.' Then said the goddess: 'When
the sun in his course hath reached the mid-
heaven, then cometh the old man from the
sea; before the breath of the west wind he
cometh, and the ripple covereth him. And
when he is come out of the sea, he lieth down
in the caves to sleep, and all about him lie the
seals, the brood of ocean, and bitter is the

MENELAUS^S TALE. 45

smell of the salt water that they breathe.
Thither will I lead thee at break of day, thee
and three of thy companions. Choose them
from thy ships, the bravest that thou hast.
And now I will tell thee the old man's art.
First, he will count the seals, and when he has
told the tale of them, he will lie down in the
midst, as a shepherd in the midst of his flock.
Now, so soon as ye shall see him thus laid
down, then remember your courage, and hold
him there, for all that he shall strive to be free.
For he will take all manner of shapes of creat-
ures that creep upon the earth, and of water
likewise, and of burning fire. But do ye grasp
him fast, and press him hard, and when he
shall question thee, returning to his proper
shape, then let him go free, and ask him which
of the gods is angry with thee, and how thou
mayest return across the deep.' Thereupon
she dived beneath the sea, and I betook me to
the ships ; but I wras sorely troubled in heart.
The next morning I took three of my com-
rades, in whom I trusted most, and lo ! she
had brought from the sea the skins of four

46 THE STORY OF 7^HE ODYSSEY.

sea-calves, which she had newly flayed, for she
was minded to lay a snare for her father. She
scooped hiding-places for us in the sand, and
made us lie down therein, and cast the skin of
a sea-calf over each of us. It would have been
a grievous ambush, for the stench of the skins
had distressed us sore, — who, indeed, would
lay him down by a beast of the sea ? — but she
wrought a deliverance for us. She took am-
brosia, very sweet, and put it under each man's
nostrils, that it might do away with the stench
of the beast.

" So all the morning we waited with steadfast
hearts. And the seals came forth from the
brine, and ranged them in order upon the
shore. And at noon the old man, came forth
out of the sea, and went along the line of the
sea-beasts, and counted them. Us, too, he
counted among them, and perceived not our
device ; and after that he laid him down to
sleep. Then we rushed upon him with a cry,
and held him fast ; nor did he forget his cun-
ning, for he became a bearded lion, and a
snake, and a pard, and a great wild boar.

MENELAUS^S TALE. 47

Also he took the shape of running water,
and of a flowering tree. And all the while
we held him fast. When at last he was
weary, he said, ' Which of the gods, son of
Atreus, bade thee thus waylay me ? ' But I
answered him : ' Wherefore dost thou beguile
me, old man, with crooked words ? I am
holden in this isle, and can find no escape
therefrom. Tell me now which of the gods
hindereth me, and how I may return across
the sea ? ' The old man made reply : ' Thou
shouldest have done sacrifice to Zeus and the
other gods before embarking, if thou wouldst
have reached thy native country with speed.
But now thou must go again to the river
^gyptus, and make offerings to the gods;
so shall they grant that which thou desirest.'
Then was my spirit broken within me, when I
heard that I must traverse again this weary
way, but I said : ' Old man, I will do all thy
bidding. But tell me now, I pray thee, did
the other Greeks, whom Nestor and I left be-
hind us in Troy, return safe to their homes, or
perished any by an evil death on board of his

48 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

ship or among his friends ? ' To this the old
man made reply : * Thou doest ill to ask such
things, for thou wilt weep to hear them. Two
only of the chiefs perished in returning ; as for
the others, thou knowest what befell. The ship
of the Lesser Ajax was smitten ; yet might he
have escaped, though Athene hated him, for
by the help of Poseidon he reached the rocks.
But there he spake, in the blindness of his
heart, high words of pride, saying that in de-
spite of the gods he had escaped the devouring
sea. Then did Poseidon smite with his trident
the rock whereon he sat, and the one part fell
into the sea, carrying Ajax with it ; so he per-
ished, drinking the brine. Thy brother indeed
escaped from the fates of the sea, for Hera
saved him ; but the storm-wind carried him
to the land where ^Egisthus, son of Thyestes,
dwelt. But when Agamemnon set foot upon
his native land, he kissed it, weeping hot tears,
so glad was he to see it again. But the watch-
man spied him from his tower, even the watch-
man whom the crafty yEgisthus had hired with
two talents of gold. For the space of two years

MENELAUS^S TALE. 49

had he watched, lest Agamemnon should pass
by him unawares. So now he went to the
house of /Egisthus, bearing the news. And
yEgisthus contrived a crafty treason. He set
an ambush in the hall, twenty of the bravest of
the place, and in the further side of the hall he
bade them make ready a feast ; then he went
with chariots and horses to bid Agamemnon
to the feast ; to his house he brought him,
knowing nothing of his doom. And after the

o o

feast he slew him, as one slayeth an ox at the
stall. Not one of the company of Agamemnon
was left, and of the company of /Egisthus not
one.' Then I wept sore, caring nothing to live
any more. But the old man said : ' Weep not,
son of Atreus, for there is no help in tears.
Rather make haste to return, for either thou
shalt find /Egisthus yet alive, or haply Orestes
may have slain him, and thou shalt come in
time for his funeral feast.' So he spake, and
my heart was comforted within me, and I said :
' Their fate I know ; but there is yet another
of whom I would fain hear. Is he yet alive,
wandering on the deep, or is he dead ? Speak,

50 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

though it grieve me to hear.' Straightway the
old man answered : ' It is the son of Laertes of
whom thou speakest. Him I saw in an island,
even in the dwelling of Calypso ; and he was
shedding great tears, because the nymph keeps
him there perforce, so that he may not come
to his own country, for he hath neither ship
nor comrades. But thou, Menelalis, wilt not
die as other men. The gods will take thee to
the Elysian plain, that is at the world's end.
No snow is there, nor storm, nor any rain, but
the ocean ever sendeth forth the west wind to
breathe cool on men. Thus shall it be with
thee, because thou hast Helen to wife, and so
art as the son of Zeus.' So spake Proteus, and
plunged into the sea. The next day we went
back to the river ^Egyptus, the stream that is
fed from heaven, and offered sacrifice to the
gods. And when I had appeased their anger,
I made a great barrow to Agamemnon, my
brother, that his name might not be forgot-
ten among men. And when these things had
been duly performed, I set sail, and came back
to my own country, for the gods gave me a fair

MENELAUS^S TALE. 51

wind. But do thou tarry now in my halls.
And when thou art minded to go, I will give
thee a chariot and three horses with it, and a
goodly cup also, from which thou mayest pour
libations to the gods ; but do thou remember
me all the days of thy life."

To him Telemachus made reply : " Keep
me not long, son of Atreus, for my company
wait for me in Pylos, though indeed I would

J O

be content to stay with thee for a wrhole year,
nor would any longing for my home come over
me. And let any gift thou givest me be a
thing for me to treasure. But I will take no
horses to Ithaca. Rather let them stay here
and grace thy home, for thou art lord of a wide
plain where there is wheat and rye and barley.
But in Ithaca there is no meadow land. It is
a pasture land of goats, yet verily it is more
pleasant to my eyes than if it were a fit feeding-
place for horses."

Then said Menelaiis : " Thou speakest well,
as becometh the son of thy father. Come, now,
I will change the gifts. Of all the treasures in
my house, I will give thee the goodliest, espec-

52 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

ially a bowl which the King of the Sidonians
gave me. Of silver it is, and the lips are
finished with gold."

Now it had been made known meanwhile to
the suitors in Ithaca that Telemachus was gone
upon this journey seeking his father, and the
thing displeased them much. And after that
they had held counsel about the matter, it
seemed best that they should lay an ambush
against him which should slay him as he came
back to his home. So Antinolis took twenty
men and departed, purposing to lie in wait in
the strait between Ithaca and Samos.

Nor was this counsel unknown to Penelope,
for the herald Medon had heard it, and he
told her how that Telemachus had gone seek-
ing news of his father, and how the suitors pur-
posed to slay him as he returned. And she
called her women, old and young, and rebuked
them, saying: "Wicked that ye were, that knew
that he was about to 0:0, and did not rouse me

from my bed. Surely I had kept him, eager
though he was, from his journey, or he had left
me dead behind him ! '

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MENELAUS^S TALE, 53

Then said Eurycleia: " Slay me, if them wilt,
but I will hide nothing from thee. I knew his
purpose, and I furnished him with such things
as he needed. But he made me swear that I
would not tell thee till the eleventh or the
twelfth day was come. But go with thy maid-
ens and make thy prayer to Athene that she will
save him from death ; and indeed I think that
this house is not altogether hated by the gods."

Then Penelope, having duly prepared her-
self, went with her maidens to the upper
chamber, and prayed aloud to Athene that
she would save her son. And the suitors
heard her praying, and said, " Surely the
Queen prays, thinking of her marriage, nor
knows that death is near to her son."

Then she lay down to sleep, and had neither
eaten nor drunk. And while she slept Athene
sent her a dream in the likeness of her sister
Iphthime, who was the wife of Eumelus, son of
Alcestis. And the vision stood over her head
and spake : " Sleepest thou, Penelope ? The
gods would not have thee grieve, for thy son
shall surely return."

54 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

And Penelope said : " How earnest thou
here, my sister ? For thy dwelling is far away.
And how can I cease to weep when my hus-
band is lost ? And now my son is gone, and
I am sore afraid for him, lest his enemies slay
him."

But the vision answered : " Fear not at all ;
for there is a mighty helper with him, even
Athene, who hath bid me tell thee these
things."

Then Penelope said : " If thou art a god-
dess, tell me this. Is my husband yet alive ? '

But the vision answered, " That I cannot

*•

say, whether he be alive or dead." And so
saying, it vanished into air.

And Penelope woke from her sleep, and her
heart was comforted.

ULYSSES ON HIS RAFT. ^ $

* '

CHAPTER VI.

ULYSSES ON HIS RAFT.

AGAIN the gods sate in council on high
Olympus, and Athene spake among them,
saying: " Now let no king be minded to do
righteously, for see how there is no man that
remembereth Ulysses, who was as a father to
his people. And he lieth far off, fast bound
in Calypso's isle, and hath no ship to take him
to his own country. Also the suitors are set
upon slaying his son, who is gone to Pylos
and to Lacedasmon, that he may get tidings of
his father."

To her Zeus made answer : " What is this
that thou sayest ? Didst not thou thyself plan
this device that the vengeance of Ulysses
might be wrought upon the suitors ? As for
Telemachus, do thou guide him by thy art, as
well thou mayest, so that he may come to his
own land unharmed, and the suitors may have
their labour in vain."

56 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

Also he said to Hermes : " Hermes, go to
the nymph Calypso, and tell her my sure pur-
pose that Ulysses shall now come back to his
home."

So Hermes put on his golden sandals, and
took his wand in his hand, and came to the
island of Ogygia, and to the cave where Ca-
lypso dwelt. A fair place it was. In the cave
was burning a fire of sweet-smelling: wood, and

o o

Calypso sat at her loom, and sang with a lovely
voice. And round about the cave was a grove
of alders and poplars and cypresses, wherein
many birds, falcons and owls and sea-crows,
were wont to roost ; and all about the mouth
of the cave was a vine with purple clusters of
grapes ; and there were four fountains which
streamed four ways through meadows of pars-
ley and violet. Very fair was the place, so
that even a god might marvel at it, and Hermes
stood and marvelled. Then went he into the
cave, and Calypso knew him when she saw
him face to face, for the gods know each other,
even though their dwellings be far apart. But
Ulysses was not there, for he sat, as was his

ULYSSES ON HIS RAFT. 57

wont, on the seashore, weeping and groaning,
because he might not see wife and home and
country.

Then Calypso said to Hermes : " Wherefore
hast thou come hither, Hermes of the golden
wand ? Welcome thou art, but thou hast not
been used to visit me of old time? Tell me
all thy thought, that I may fulfil it if I may,
but first follow me, that I may set food before
thee."

So she spread a table with ambrosia, and set
it by him, and mixed the ruddy nectar for him,
and the messenger ate and drank. So, when
he had comforted his soul with food, he spake,
saying : —

" Thou questionest of my coming, and I will
tell thee the truth. It is by no wish of mine
own that I come, for who would of his free
will pass over a sea so wide, wherein is no city
of men that do sacrifice to the o;ods ? Zeus bade

me come, and none may go against the com-
mands of Zeus. He saith that thou hast \vith
thee a man more wretched than all his fellows,
as many as fought against Troy for nine years

58 THE S2ORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

and in the tenth year departed homeward. All
the rest of his company were lost, but him the
waves carried thither. Now, therefore, send
him home with what speed thou mayest ; for it
is not fated that he should die away from his
friends. Rather shall he see again the high
roof of his home and his native country."

It vexed Calypso much to hear this, for she
would fain have kept Ulysses with her always,
and she said : —

" Ye gods are always jealous when a goddess
loves a mortal man. And as for Ulysses, did
not I save him when Zeus had smitten his ship
with a thunderbolt, and all his comrades had
perished ? And now let him go — if it pleases
Zeus. Only I cannot send him, for I have,
neither ship nor rowers. Yet will I willingly
teach him how he may safely return."

And Hermes said, " Do this thing speedily,
lest Zeus be wroth with thee."

So he departed. And Calypso went seeking
Ulysses, and found him on the shore of the sea,
looking out over the waters, as was his wont,
and weeping, for he was weary of his life, so

ULYSSES ON HIS RAFT. 59

much did he desire to see Ithaca again. She
stood by him and said : -

" Weary not for thy native country, nor waste
thyself with tears. If thou wilt go, I will speed
thee on thy way. Take, therefore, thine axe
and cut thee beams, and join them together,
and make a deck upon them, and I will give
thee bread and water and wine, and clothe thee
also, so that thou mayest return safe to thy
native country, for the gods will have it so."

" Nay," said Ulysses, " what is this that thou
sayest ? Shall I pass in a raft over the dread-
ful sea, over which even ships go not without
harm ? I will not go against thy will ; but thou
must swear the great oath of the gods that thou
plannest no evil against me."

Then Calypso smiled and said : " These are
strange words. By the Styx I swear that I
plan no harm against thee, but only such good
as I would ask myself, did I need it ; for indeed
my heart is not of iron, but rather full of com-
passion."

Then they two went to the cave and sat
down to meat, and she set before him food

60 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

such as mortal men eat, but she herself ate
ambrosia and drank nectar, as the gods are
wont. And afterwards she said : —

" Why art thou so eager for thy home ?
Surely if thou knewest all the trouble that
awaits thee, thou wouldst not go, but wouldst
rather dwell with me. And though thou desir-
est all the day long to see thy wife, surely I am
not less fair than she."

" Be not angry," Ulysses made reply. " The
wise Penelope cannot, indeed, be compared to
thee, for she is a mortal woman and thou art a
goddess. Yet is rny home dear to me, and I
would fain see it again. Yea, and if some god
should wreck me on the deep, yet would I
endure it with patient heart. Already have I
suffered much, and toiled much in perils of war
and perils of the sea. And as to what is yet to
come, let it be added to the tale of what hath
been."

The next day Calypso gave him an axe with
a handle of olive wood, and an adze, and took
him to the end of the island, where there were
great trees, long ago sapless and dry, alder and

ULYSSES ON HIS RAFT. 6 1

poplar and pine. Of these he felled twenty,
and lopped them and worked them by the line.
Then the goddess brought him a gimlet, and he
.made holes in the logs and joined them with
pegs. And he made decks and side planking
also; also a mast and a yard, and a rudder
wherewith to turn the raft. And he fenced it
about with a bulwark of osier against the waves.

The sails, indeed, Calypso wove, and Ulysses
fitted them with braces and halyards and sheets.
Last of all he pushed the raft down to the sea
with levers.

On the fourth day all was finished, and on
the fifth day he departed. And Calypso gave
him goodly garments, and a skin of wine, and a
skin of water, and rich provender in a wallet of
leather. She sent also a fair wind blowing be-
hind, and Ulysses set his sails and proceeded
joyfully on his way; nor did he sleep, but
watched the stars, the Pleiades and Bootes, and
the Bear, which men also call the Wain, which
turneth ever in one place, watching Orion.
For Calypso had said to him, " Keep the Bear
ever on thy left as thou passest over the sea."

62 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

Seventeen days he sailed ; and on the eigh-
teenth day appeared the shadowy hills of the
island of the Phaeacians, where it was nearest
to him ; and the island showed, as a shield
misfht show, through the mist of the sea.

o o

But now Poseidon, coming back from feast-
ing with the Ethiopians, spied him as he sailed,
and it angered him to the heart. He shook

his head, and spake to himself, saying : "Verily,
the gods must have changed their purpose con-
cerning Ulysses while I was absent among the
Ethiopians ; and now he is nigh to the island
of the Phaeacians, which if he reach, it is or-
dained that he shall escape from his woes. Yet
even now I will send him far enough on a way
of trouble."

Thereupon he gathered the clouds, and
troubled the waters of the deep, holding his tri-
dent in his hand. And he raised a storm of
all the winds that blow, and covered the land
and the sea with clouds.

Sore troubled was Ulysses, and said to him-
self: "It was truth that Calypso spake when
she said how that I should suffer many

ULYSSES ON HIS RAFT. 63

troubles returning to my home. Would that I
had died that day when many a spear was cast
by the men of Troy over the dead Achilles.
Then would the Greeks have buried me ; but
now shall I perish miserably."

And as he spake a great wave struck the
raft and tossed him far away, so that he
dropped the rudder from his hand. Nor for
a long time could he rise, so deep was he sunk,
and so heavy was the goodly clothing which
Calypso had given him. Yet at the last he
rose, and spat the salt water out of his mouth,
and, so brave was he, sprang at the raft, and
caught it, and sat thereon, and was borne
hither and thither by the waves. But Ino saw
him and pitied him — a woman she had been,
and was now a goddess of the sea — and rose
from the deep like to a sea-gull upon the wing,
and sat upon the raft, and spake, saying : —

" Luckless mortal, why doth Poseidon hate
thee so ? He shall not slay thee, though he
fain would do it. Put off these garments, and
swim to the land of Phasacia, putting this veil
under thy breast. And when thou art come

64 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY,

to the land, loose it from thee, and cast it
into the sea; but when thou castest it, look
away."

Then the goddess gave him the veil, and
dived again into the deep as a sea-gull diveth,
and the waves closed over her. Then Ulysses
pondered the matter, saying to himself : " Woe
is me ! can it be that another of the 2fods is

contriving a snare for me, bidding me leave
my raft ? Verily, I will not yet obey her coun-
sel, for the land, when I saw it, seemed a long
way off. I am resolved what to do; so long
as the raft will hold together, so Ions: will I

O O

abide on it ; but when the waves shall break
it asunder, then will I swim, for nothing better
may be done."

But while he thought thus within himself,
Poseidon sent another great wave against the

o o

raft. As a stormy wind scattereth a heap of
husks, so did the wave scatter the timbers of
the raft. But Ulysses sat astride on a beam,
as a man sitteth astride of a horse ; and he
stripped off from him the goodly garments
which Calypso had given him, and put the veil

ULYSSES ON HIS RAFT. 65

under his breast, and so leapt into the sea,
stretching out his hands to swim.

And Poseidon, when he saw him, shook his
head, and communed with his soul, saying:
" Even so, after all that thou hast suffered, go
wandering over the deep, till thou come to the
land. Thou wilt not say that thou hast not
had trouble enough."

But Athene, binding up the other winds,
roused the swift north wind that so Ulysses
might escape from death.

So for two days and two nights he swam. But
on the third day there was a calm, and he saw
the land from the top of a great wave, for the
waves were yet high, close at hand. Dear as
a father to his children, rising up from griev-
ous sickness, so dear was the land to Ulysses.
But when he came near he heard the waves
breaking along the shore, for there was no har-
bour there, but only cliffs and rugged rocks.

Then at last the knees of Ulysses were
loosened with fear, and his heart was melted
within him, and in heaviness of spirit he spake
to himself: "Woe is me! for now, when be-

66 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

yond all hope, Zeus hath given me the sight
of land, there is no place where I may win to
shore from out of the sea. For the crags are
sharp, and the waves roar about them, and the
smooth rock riseth sheer from the sea, and
the water is deep, so that I may gain no foot-
hold. If I should seek to land, then a great
wave may dash me on the rocks. And if I
swim along the shore, if haply I may find some
harbour, I fear lest the winds may catch me
again and bear me out into the deep; or it
may be that some god may send a monster of
the sea against me ; and verily there are many
such in the sea-pastures, and I know that
Poseidon is very wroth against me."

While he pondered these things in his heart
a great wave bare him to the rocks. Then
had his skin been stripped from him and all
his bones broken, but that Athene put a
thought into his heart. For he rushed in
towards the shore, and clutched the rock with
both his hands, and clung thereto till the wave
had passed. But as it ebbed back, it caught
him, and carried him again into the deep.

ULYSSES ON HIS RAFT. 6/

Even as a cuttle-fish is draped from out its

hole in the rock, so was he dragged by the
water, and the skin was stripped from his hand
against the rocks. Then had Ulysses perished,
even against the ordinance of fate, had not
Athene put a counsel in his heart. He swam
outside the breakers, and so along the shore,
looking for a place where the waves might be
broken, or there should be a harbour. At last
he came to where a river ran into the sea.
Free was the place of rocks, and sheltered
from the wind, and Ulysses felt the stream of
the river as he ran. Then he prayed to the
river-god : —

" Hear me, O King, whosoever thou art. I
am come to thee a suppliant, fleeing from the
wrath of Poseidon. Save me, O King."

Thereupon the river stayed his stream, and
made the water smooth before Ulysses, so that
at last he won his way to the land. His knees
were bent under him, and his hands dropped
at his side, and the salt water ran out his
mouth and nostrils. Breathless was he, and
speechless ; but when he came to himself, he

68 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

loosed the veil from under his breast, and cast
it into the salt stream of the river, and the
stream bare it to the sea, and Ino came up
and caught it in her hands.

Then he lay down on the rushes by the
bank of the river and kissed the earth, think-
ing within himself : " What now shall I do ?
for if I sleep here by the river, I fear that the
dew and the frost may slay me ; for indeed in
the morning-time the wind from the river

blows cold. And if I go up to the wood, to
lay me down to sleep in the thicket, I fear that
some evil beast may devour me."

But it seemed better to go to the wood. So
he went. Now this was close to the river, and
he found two bushes, of wild olive one, and of
fruitful olive the other. So thickly grown
together were they that the winds blew not
through them, nor did the sun pierce them,
nor yet the rain. Thereunder crept Ulysses,
and found great store of leaves, shelter enough
for two or three, even in winter time, when
the rain is heavy. Then did Ulysses rejoice,
laying himself in the midst, and covering him-

ULYSSES ON HIS RAFT. 69

self with leaves. Thus, even as a man who
dwells apart from others cherishes his fire,
hiding it under the ashes, so Ulysses cherished
his life under the leaves. And Athene sent
down upon his eyelids deep sleep, that might
ease him of his toil.

70 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

CHAPTER VII.

NAUSICAA.

MEANWHILE Athene went to the city of
Phaeacians, to the palace of Alcinous, their
King. There she betook her to the chamber
where slept Nausicaa, daughter of the King,
a maiden fair as are the gods. The goddess
stood above the maiden, in the semblance of
the daughter of Dymas (now Dymas was a
famous rover of the sea), a girl that was of like
age with her, and had found favour in her
sight.

Athene spake, saying : " Why hath thy
mother so careless a child, Nausicaa ? Lo !
thy raiment lieth unwashed, and yet the day
of thy marriage is at hand, when thou must
have fair clothing for thyself, and to give to
them that shall lead thee to thy bridegroom's
house ; for thus doth a bride wrin good repute.
Do thou therefore arise with the day, and go

NAUSICAA. 71

to wash the raiment, and I will go with thee.
Ask thy father betimes in the morning to give
thee mules and a wagon to carry the raiment
and the robes. Also it is more becoming for
thee to ride than to go on foot, for the laun-
dries are far from the city."

And when the morning was come, Nausicaa
awoke, marvelling at the dream, and went
seeking her parents. Her mother she found
busy with her maidens at the loom, spinning
yarn dyed with purple of the sea, and her
father she met as he was going to the council
with the chiefs of the land. Then she said :
" Give me, father, the wagon with the mules,
that I may take the garments to the river to
wash them. Thou shouldest always have
clean robes when thou goest to the council ;
and there are my five brothers also, who
love to have newly washed garments at the
dance."

But of her own marriage she said nothing.
And her father, knowing her thoughts, said :
" I grudge thee not, dear child, the mules or
aught else. The men shall harness for thee a

72 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

wagon with strong wheels and fitted also with
a frame."

Then he called to the men, and they made
ready the wagon, and harnessed the mules ;
and the maiden brought the raiment out of her
chamber, and put it in the wagon. Also her
mother filled a basket with all manner of food,
and poured wine in a goat-skin bottle. Olive
oil also she gave her, that Nausicaa and her
maidens might anoint themselves after the
bath. And Nausicaa took the reins, and
touched the mules with the whip. Then was
there a clatter of hoofs, and the mules went on
with their load, nor did they grow weary.

When they came to the river, where was
water enough for the washing of raiment
though it were ever so foul, the maidens loosed
the mules from the chariot, and set them free
to graze in the sweet clover by the river-bank.
Then they took the raiment from the wagon,
and bare it to the river, and trod it in the
trenches, vying one with the other. And
when they had cleansed away all the stains,
then they laid the garments on the shore of

NAUSICAA. 73

the sea, where the waves had washed the peb-
bles clean. After that they bathed, and
anointed themselves ; and then they sat down
to eat and drink by the river-side; and after
the meal they played at ball, singing as they
played, and Nausicaa led the song. Fair was
she as Artemis when she hunts wild goats or
stags, overtopping all the nymphs that bear
her company. Fair are all, but she is fairer,
and Latona, her mother, is glad at heart. So
was Nausicaa fairer than all the maidens.
And when they had ended their play, and were
yoking the mules, and folding up the raiment,
then Athene contrived this thing, that the
princess, throwing the ball to one of her
maidens, cast it so wide that it fell into the
river. Whereupon they all cried aloud, and
Ulysses awoke. And he said to himself :
" What is this land to which I have come ?
Are they that dwell therein fierce or kind to
strangers? Just now I seemed to hear the
voice of nymphs, or am I near the dwellings of
men ? "

Then he twisted a leafy bough about his

74 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

loins, and rose up and went towards the
maidens, who indeed were frighted to see him
(for he was wild of aspect), and fled hither
and thither. But Nausicaa stood and fled not.
Then Ulysses thought within himself, should
he go near and clasp her knees, or, lest haply
this should anger her, should he stand and
speak ? And this he did, saying : —

" I am thy suppliant, O Queen. Whether
thou art a goddess, I know not. But if thou
art a mortal, happy thy father and mother, and
happy thy brothers, and happiest of all he who
shall win thee in marriage. Never have I seen
man or woman so fair. Thou art like a young
palm tree that but lately I saw in Delos,
springing by the temple of the god. But as
for me, I have been cast on this shore, having
come from the island Ogygia. Pity me, then,
and lead me to the city, and give me some-
thing, a wrapper of this linen, maybe, to put
about me. So may the gods give thee all bless-
ings ! "

And Nausicaa made answer: "Thou seem-
est, stranger, to be neither evil nor foolish ; and

NAUSICAA. 75

as for thy plight, the gods give good fortune
or bad, as they will. Thou shalt not lack
clothing or food, or anything that a suppliant
should have. And I will take thee to the city.
Know also that this land is Phaeacia, and that I
am daughter to Alcinolis, who is King thereof."

Then she called to her maidens : " What
mean ye to flee when ye see a man ? No
enemy comes hither to harm us, for we are
dear to the gods, and also we live in an island
of the sea, so that men may not approach to
work us wrong ; but if one cometh here over-
borne by trouble, it is well to succour him.
Give this man, therefore, food and drink, and
wash him in the river, where there is shelter
from the wind."

So they brought him down to the river, and
gave him a tunic and a cloak to clothe himself
withal, and also oil-olive in a flask of gold.
Then, at his bidding, they departed a little
space, and he washed the salt from his skin
and out of his hair, and anointed himself, and
put on the clothing. And Athene made him
taller and fairer to see, and caused the hair to

THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

be thick on his head, in colour as a hyacinth.
Then he sat down on the seashore, right beau-
tiful to behold, and the maiden said : —

" Not without some bidding of the gods
comes this man to our land. Before, indeed, I
deemed him uncomely, but now he seems like
to the gods. I should be well content to have
such a man for a husband, and maybe he might
will to abide in this land. But give him, ye
maidens, food and drink."

So they gave him, and he ate ravenously,
having fasted long. Then Nausicaa bade yoke
the mules, and said to Ulysses : —

" Arise, stranger, come with me, that I may
bring thee to the house of my father. But do
thou as I shall tell thee, and, indeed, thou
seemest discreet enough. So long as we shall
be passing through the fields, follow quickly
with the maidens behind the chariot. But
when we shall come to the city, — thou wilt see
a high wall and a harbour on either side of the
narrow way that leadeth to the gate, — then
follow the chariot no more. Hard by the wall
is a grove of Athene, a grove of poplars, with

NAUSICAA. 77

a spring in the midst, and a meadow round
about ; there abide till such time as I may have
reached the house of my father. For I would
not that the people should speak lightly of me.
And I doubt not that were thou with me some
one of the baser sort would say : ' Who is this
stranger, tall and fair, that cometh with Nau-
sicaa ? Will he be her husband ? Perchance
it is some god who has come down at her
prayer, or a man from far away; for of us
men of Phasacia she thinks scorn.' It would be
shame that such words should be spoken. And
indeed it is ill-done of a maiden who, father
and mother unknowing, companies with men.
But when thou shalt judge that I have come
to the palace, then go up thyself and ask for
my father's house. Any one, even a child, can
show it thee, for the other Phaeacians dwell not
in such. And when thou art come within the
doors, pass quickly through the hall to where
my mother sits. Close to the hearth is her
seat, and my father's hard by, where he sits
with the wine-cup in his hand, as a god. Pass
him by, and lay hold of my mother's knees, and

78 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

pray her that she give thee safe return to thy
country."

Then she smote the mules with the whip.
Quickly did they leave the river behind them ;
but the maiden was heedful to drive them so
that Ulysses and the maidens might be able to
follow on foot. At sunset they came to the
sacred grove of Athene, and there Ulysses sat
him down, and prayed to Athene, saying,
" Hear me, now, O daughter of Zeus, for before
when Poseidon smote me, thou heardest me not,
and grant that this people may look upon me
with pity."

So he spake, and Athene heard him, but
showed not herself to him, face to face, for she
feared the wrath of her uncle Poseidon, so
grievously did he rage against Ulysses.

C/J

C*
<

K
H

—

•J

ALCINOUS. 79

CHAPTER VIII.

ALCINOUS.

NAUSICAA came to her father's house, and
there her brothers unyoked the mules from
the wagon, and carried the garments into the
house ; and the maiden went to her chamber,
where her nurse kindled for her a fire, and pre-
pared a meal.

At the same time Ulysses rose to go to the
city; and Athene spread a mist about him, for
she would not that any of the Phaeacians
should see him and mock him. And when he
was now about to enter the city, the goddess
took upon herself the shape of a young maiden
carrying a pitcher, and met him.

Then Ulysses asked her: "My child, canst
thou tell me where dwells Alcinoiis ? for I am
a stranger in this place."

She answered : " I will show thee, for indeed
he dwells near to my own father. But be thou

80 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

silent, for we Phaeacians love not strangers
over much."

Then Athene led the way, and Ulysses fol-
lowed after her ; and much he marvelled, as he
went, at the harbours, and the ships, and the
places of assembly, and the walls. And when
they came to the palace, Athene said : " This
is the place for which thou didst inquire.
Enter in; here thou shalt find kings at the
feast ; but be not afraid ; the fearless man ever
fares the best. And look thou first for the
Queen. Her name is Arete, and she is near
akin to the King, for she is indeed his brother's
child. Rhexenor was the King's brother; him
Apollo smote with his shafts, being yet a young
man, and Alcinous took his daughter to wife.
Never was wife more honoured of her lord and
of all the people. Nor does she lack under-
standing; and they whom she favoureth have
an end of their troubles. If she be well dis-
posed to thee, doubtless thou wilt see thy
native country again."

Having thus spoken, Athene departed, going
to the land of Athens, and Ulysses entered the

ALCINOUS. 8 1

palace. In it there was a gleam as of the sun
or the moon.

A wondrous place it was, with walls of
brass and doors of gold, hanging on posts
of silver ; and on either side of the door were
dogs of gold and silver, the work of Hephaestus,
and against the wall, all alone: from the thresh-

o o

old to the inner chamber, were set seats, on
which sat the chiefs of the Phaeacians, feast-
ing ; and youths wrought in gold stood holding
torches in their hands, to give light in the
darkness. Fifty women were in the house
grinding corn and weaving robes, for the
women of the land are no less skilled to
weave than are the men to sail the sea. And
round about the house were gardens beautiful
exceedingly, with orchards of fig, and apple,
and pear, and pomegranate, and olive. Drought
hurts them not, nor frost, and harvest comes
after harvest without ceasing. Also there was
a vineyard ; and some of the grapes were
parching in the sun, and some were being
gathered, and some again were but just turn-
ing red. And there were beds of all manner

82 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

of flowers; and in the midst of all were two
fountains which never failed.

These things Ulysses regarded for a space,
and then passed into the hall. And there the
chiefs of Phaeacia were drinking their last cup
to Hermes. Quickly he passed through them,
and put his hands on the knees of Arete and
said — and as he spake the mist cleared from
about him, and all that were in the hall beheld
him: —

" I am a suppliant to thee, and to thy hus-
band, and to thy guests. The gods bless thee
and them, and grant you to live in peace, and
that your children should come peacefully after
you ! Only, do ye send me home to my native

countrv.'

And he sat down in the ashes of the hearth.
Then for a space all were silent, but at the last
spake Echeneiis, who was the oldest man in
the land : —

" King Alcinoiis, this ill becomes you that
this man should sit in the ashes of the hearth.
Raise him and bid him sit upon a seat, and let
us pour out to Father Zeus, who is the friend

ALCINOUS. 83

of suppliants, and let the keeper of the house
give him meat and drink."

And Alcinolis did so, bidding his eldest
born, Laodamas, rise from his seat. And an
attendant poured water on his hands, and the
keeper of the house gave him meat and drink.
Then, when all had poured out to Father Zeus,
King Alcinoiis spake, saying, " In the morning
we will call an assembly of the people, and con-
sider how we may take this stranger to his
home, so that he may reach it without trouble
or pain. Home will we take him without hurt,
but what things may befall him there, we know
not ; these shall be as the Fates spun his
thread, when his mother bare him. But, if
haply he is a god and not a man, then is this
a new device of the gods. For heretofore they
have shown themselves manifestly in our midst,
when we offer sacrifice, and sit by our sides at
feasts. Yea, and if a traveller meet them on
the way, they use no disguise, for indeed they
are near of kin to us."

Then spake Ulysses : " Think not such
things within thy heart, O King! No god

84 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

am I, but if thou knowest one that is most
miserable among the sons of men, to him
mayest thou liken me. Of many woes might
I tell. Nevertheless, suffer me to eat ; 'tis a
shameless thing, the appetite of a man, for,
how sad soever he be, yet it biddeth him eat
and drink. But do ye, when the day cometh,
bestir yourselves, and carry me to my home.
Fain would I die if I could see my home
again ! '

And they answered that it should be so, and
went each to his home. Only Ulysses was
left in the hall, and Alcinoiis and Arete with
him. And Arete saw his cloak and tunic, that
she and her maidens had made them, and
said : —

" Whence art thou, stranger ? and who gave
thee these garments ? '

So Ulysses told her how he had come
from the island of Calypso, and what he had
suffered, and how Nausicaa had found him
on the shore, and had guided him to the
city.

But Alcinous blamed the maiden that she

ALCINOUS. 85

had not herself brought him to the house.
" For thou wast her suppliant," he said.

" Nay," said Ulysses, " she would have
brought me, but I would not, fearing thy
wrath." For he would not have the maiden
blamed.

Then said Alcinoiis : " I am not one to be
angered for such cause. Gladly would I have
such a one as thou art to be my son-in-law, and
I would give him house and wealth. But no
one would I stay against his will. And as for
sending thee to thy home, that is easy ; thou
shalt lay thee down to sleep, and my men shalt
smite the sea with oars, and take thee whither-
soever thou wilt, even though it be further by
far than Eubcea, which they say is the furthest
of all lands. Yet even thither did our men go,
carrying Rhadamanthus. In one day they
went, and returned the same, and were not
weary. For verily my ships are the best that
sail the sea, and my young men the most
skilful of all that ply the oar."

So he spake, and Ulysses rejoiced to hear
his words. And he prayed within himself,

86 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

" Grant, Father Zeus, that Alcinoiis may fulfil
all that he hath said, and that I may come to
my own land ! '

Then Arete bade her handmaids prepare a
bed for the stranger. So they went from the
hall, with torches in their hands, and made it
ready. And when they had ended they called
Ulysses, saying, " Up, stranger, and sleep, for
thy bed is ready."

Right glad was he to sleep after all that he
had endured.

THE PH^EACIANS. 87

CHAPTER IX.

THE PH^ACIANS.

THE next day the King arose at dawn, as
also did Ulysses, and the King led the way
to the place of assembly. Meanwhile Athene,
wearing the guise of the King's herald, went
throughout the city, and to each man she said,
" Come to the assembly, captains and coun-
sellors of the Phaeacians, that ye may learn
concerning this stranger, who hath lately come
to the hall of Alcinoiis."

So she roused their desire, and the place
of assembly was filled to the utmost ; much
did the men marvel to see Ulysses, for Athene
had poured marvellous grace upon him, making
him fairer and taller and stronger to see.

Then the King rose up and spake : " Heark-
en, captains and counsellors of the people, to
what I say. This stranger hath come to my
hall ; I know not who he is or whence he

THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

comes, whether it be from the rising or the
setting of the sun ; and he prays that he may
be safely carried to his home. This boon we
have been wont to give to strangers from old
time. Let us therefore choose a ship that hath
never sailed before, and two and fifty youths
that are the best to ply the oar; and when
ye have made ready the ship, then come to my
house and feast ; I will provide well for all.
Bid, also, Demodocus the minstrel come, for
the gods have given to him above all others
the gift of song wherewith to rejoice the hearts
of men."

Then they did as the King counselled.
They made ready the ship, and moored her by
the .shore, and after that they went to the
palace of the King. From one end thereof to
the other it was crowded, for many were there,
both young and old. And Alcinoiis slew for
them twelve sheep, and eight swine, and two
oxen; and his men prepared for the people a
goodly feast.

Then came the servants of the King, lead-
ing the minstrel by the hand. Much did the

o
a
o

o
o

•^
<

THE PH^EACIANS, 89

Muse love him, but she had given him both
good and evil. She had granted him the gift
of sweet sons:, but she had taken from him the

sight of his eyes. The servants set him in a
silver chair, in the midst of the guests, and
hung a harp upon a pin above his head, and
showed him how he might reach his hand to
take it. And close by his side they placed a
table and a basket and a cup of wine, that he
might drink at his pleasure.

So the Phaeacians feasted in the hall ; and
when they had had enough of meat and drink,
then the minstrel sans:. He sans: a song, the

O O O'

fame of which had reached to heaven, of the
quarrel between Ulysses and Achilles, how
they fell out at a feast of the gods, and Aga-
memnon was glad when he saw that the
noblest of the Greeks were at strife. For
Apollo at Pytho had told him that it must
be so; that is to say, that the wisest and the
strongest must be at variance before he could
take the great city of Troy.

But as the minstrel sang, Ulysses held his
purple cloak before his face, for he was

90 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

ashamed to weep in the sight of the people.
Whensoever the singer ceased from his song,
then did Ulysses wipe away the tears and pour
out libations to the gods ; but when he began
again, for the chiefs loved to hear the song,
then again he covered his face and wept. But
none noted the thing save only Alcinolis.

Then the King said to the chiefs, " Now
that we have feasted and delighted ourselves
with song, let us go forth, that this stranger
may see that we are skilful in boxing and
wrestling and running."

So they went forth, a herald leading Demo-
docus by the hand, for the minstrel was blind.
Then stood up many Phasacian youths, and
the fairest and strongest of them all was
Laodamas, eldest son to the King, and after
him Euryalus. And next they ran a race, and
Clytoneus was the swiftest. And among the
wrestlers Euryalus was the best, and of the
boxers, Laodamas. And in throwing the quoit
Elatrius excelled, and in leaping at the bar,
Amphialus.

Then Laodamas, Euryalus urging him, said

THE PH^EACIANS. 91

to Ulysses, " Father, wilt thou not try thy
skill in some game, and put away the trouble
from thy heart ? '

But Ulysses answered : " Why askest thou
this ? I think of my troubles rather than of
sport, and sit among you, caring only that I
may see again my home."

Then said Euryalus : " And in very truth,
stranger, thou hast not the look of a wrestler
or boxer. Rather would one judge thee to be
some trader, who sails over the sea for gain."

" Nay," answered Ulysses, " this is ill said.
So true is it that the gods give not all gifts to
all men, beauty to one, and sweet speech to
another. Fair of form art thou ; no god could
better thee; but thou speakest idle words. I
am not unskilled in these thinsfs, but stood

O '

among the first in the old days ; but since have
I suffered much in battle and shipwreck. Yet
will I make trial of my strength, for thy words
have angered me."

Whereupon, clad in his mantle as he was, he
took a quoit, heavier far than such as the
Phaeacians were wont to throw, and sent it with

92 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

a whirl. It hurtled through the air, so that
the brave Phaeacians crouched to the ground
in fear, and it fell far beyond all the rest.

Then Athene, for she had taken upon herself
the guise of a Phaeacian man, marked the place
where it fell, and spake, saying : " Stranger,
verily, even a blind man might discern this
token of thy strength, for it is not lost among
the others, but lies far beyond them. Be of
good courage, therefore, in this contest ; at
least, none of the Phaeacians shall surpass
thee."

Then was Ulysses glad, seeing that he had
a friend among the people, and he said : "Now
match this throw, young men, if ye can. Soon
will I cast another after it, as far, or further
yet. Nay, if any man is so minded, let him rise
up and contend with me, for I will match myself
in wrestling or boxing, or even in the race, with
any man in Phaeacia, save Laodamas only, for
he is my friend. I can shoot with the bow,
and only Philoctetes could surpass me ; and I
can cast a spear as far as other men can shoot
an arrow. But as for the race, it may be that

THE PH^ACIANS. 93

some one might outrun me, for I have suffered
much on the sea."

But they were all silent, till the King stood
up and said : " Thou hast spoken well. But
we men of Phaeacia are not mighty to wrestle
or to box ; only we are swift of foot and skilful
to sail upon the sea. And we love feasts, and
dances, and the harp, and gay clothing, and the
bath. In these things no man may surpass us."

Then the King bade Demodocus the minstrel
sing again. And when he had done so, the
King's two sons, Alius and Laodamas, danced
together ; and afterwards they played with the
ball, throwing it into the air, cloud high, and
catching it right skilfully.

And afterwards the King said : " Let us each
give this stranger a mantle and a tunic and a
talent of gold, and let Euryalus make his peace
with words and with a gift."

And they all (now there were twelve princes,
and Alcinolis the thirteenth) said that it should
be so ; and Euryalus also gave Ulysses a
sword with a hilt of silver and a scabbard of
ivory.

94 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

When he gave it, he said : " Hail to thee,
father ; if there hath been aught of offence in
my words, may the winds carry it away ! And
now may the gods grant to thee to see again
thy wife and thy friends and thy native
country ! '

And Ulysses made answer to him : " Hail to
thee also, my friend ! The gods grant thee to
be happy, and never to miss this sword that
thou hast given me ! '

Then all the princes brought their gifts.
And Alcinolis said to the Queen : " Lady,
bring hither a coffer, the best that thou hast,
and put therein a robe and a tunic. And I
will give our guest a fair golden chalice of my
own that he may remember me all the days of
his life, when he poureth out libations to the
gods."

Then the Queen brought from her chamber
a fair coffer, and put therein the gifts which
the princes had given ; also with her own
hands she put therein a robe and a tunic.
And she said : —

" Look now to the lid, and tie a knot, that

THE PH^ACIANS. 95

no man rob thee by the way, when thou sleep-
est in the ship."

So Ulysses fixed well the lid, and tied it
with a cunning knot which Circe had taught

o o

him. After that he went to the bath. As he
came from the bath Nausicaa met him by the
entering in of the hall, and marvelled at him,
so fair was he to look upon. And she spake,
saying : " Stranger, farewell. But when thou
comest to thine own country, think upon me
once and again, for indeed thou owest to me
the price of thy life."

Ulysses made answer to her, " Nausicaa,
may Zeus and Hera grant me safe return to
my home, so will I do honour to thee as to a
goddess, forever; for indeed I owe thee my
life."

Then he went into the hall, and sat down by
the side of the King, and the squire came lead-
ing the blind minstrel by the hand. Now
Ulysses had cut off a rich portion from the
chine of a boar that had been set before him,
and he said to the squire : " Take this and give
it to Demodocus. Verily, the minstrel is held

96 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

in honour by men, for the Muse teacheth him
and loveth him."

So the squire bare the dish, and set it on
the knees of the minstrel, rejoicing his heart.

When they all had had enough of food and
drink, then Ulysses spake to the minstrel, say-
ing : " Demodocus, I know not whether the
Muse hath taught thee, or, it may be, Apollo,
but of a truth thou singest all the toil and
trouble of the Greeks, that they endured before
the great city of Troy, as if thou hadst thyself
been there. Come, now, sing to us of the
Horse of Wood which Epeius made by the
counsel of Athene', and how Ulysses contrived
that it should be taken up into the citadel of
Troy, when he had filled it with the bravest of
the chiefs. Sing me this aright, and I will
bear witness for thee that thou art indeed a
minstrel whom the gods have taught."

Then, by the inspiration of the god, did the
minstrel sing this song. He told how one part
of the Greeks set fire to their camp, and em-
barked upon their ships, and sailed away ; and
how the other part — to wit, Ulysses and his

THE PH^ACfAJVS. 97

comrades — sat hidden in the Horse which the
men of Troy had dragged with their own hands
into their place of assembly. All about sat the
people, and three counsels were given. The
first was to cleave the wood, and the second to
drag it to the brow of the hill and cast it down
thence, and the third to leave it as an offering
to the gods ; and the third counsel prevailed,
for it was the doom of the city that it should
perish through the Horse.

Also the minstrel san^ how the chiefs came

forth from the Horse, and went through the
city, wasting it ; and how Ulysses went with
King Menelalis to the house of Dei'phobus,
making a perilous venture, but prevailing by
help of Athene.

Thus did the minstrel sing, and the heart of
Ulysses was melted within him as he listened,
and the tears ran down his cheeks. As a woman
throws herself upon the body of her dear hus-
band, who hath fallen fighting for his country,
and seeing him labouring for breath, for he is
near to his end, waileth aloud, and the foemen,
coming up behind, smite her on her back and

98 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

shoulders with their spears, and lead her away
into captivity, and her cheeks are wasted with
tears, even so fell the tears from the eyes of
Ulysses.

None of the company, save King Alcinous
only, marked how it fared with him. Then
the King spake, saying: " Hearken, ye princes
of the Phaeacians, and let Demodocus cease
from his singing, for ever since he set his hand
to the harp, this stranger hath not ceased to
• weep. Let, therefore, the minstrel cease, and
let us make merry and rejoice as it is fitting to
do. Are we not met together that we may
give gifts to this stranger, and send him to his
home ? Verily, the stranger and the suppliant
are as a brother to any one that is not alto-
gether a fool. And hide not thou, stranger,
from us aught that I shall ask thee. Tell us
by what name they call thee at home, for no
man, be he noble or of mean estate, lacketh a
name; this his parents give him at the first
hour of his birth. Tell us also of thy land and
thy city, that our ships may shape their course
to take thee thither. For these are not as the

THE PH^ACIANS, 99

ships of other men, that have steersmen and
rudders. They have an understanding of their
own, and know all the cities of men, and they
pass over the deep, covered with cloud, and
have no fear of wreck. But my father was
wont to say that Poseidon bore a grudge
against us because we carry all men safely to
their homes ; and that one day he would smite
a ship of ours as it came home from such an
errand, changing it to a rock that should over-

o o

shadow our city. Let the god do so or forbear
as he will ! But thou, stranger, tell us of thy-
self,— whither thou hast \vandered, and what
cities thou hast seen, be they cities of the un-
righteous, or cities of them that are hospitable
to strangers and fear the gods. Tell us, too,

o . o

why thou didst weep at hearing of the tale of
Troy. Hadst thou, perchance, kinsman, or
kinsman by marriage, or friend — for a wise

j O

friend is ever as a brother — among those that
perished at Troy ? '

100 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

CHAPTER X.

THE CYCLOPS.

(THE TALE OF ULYSSES.)

THEN Ulysses answered the King, saying:
" What shall I tell thee first, and what last, for
many sorrows have the gods laid upon me ?
First, I will tell my name, that ye may know it,
and that there may be friendship between us,
even when I shall be far away. I am ULYSSES,
SON OF LAERTES. In Ithaca I dwell. Many
islands lie about it, but Ithaca is furthest to the
west, and the others face the sun-rising. Very
ruo^ed is this island of Ithaca, but it is the

mother of brave men ; verily, there is nothing
dearer to a man than his own country. Calypso,
the fair goddess, would have had me abide
with her, to be her husband; so also would

Circe of the many wiles; but they did not pre-
vail, because there is nothing that a man loves

more than his country and his parents. But

THE CYCLOPS. IOI

now I will tell thee of all the troubles that the
gods laid upon me as I journeyed from Troy.

" The wind that bare me from Troy brought
me to Ismarus, which is a city of the Cicones.
This I sacked, slaying the people that dwelt
therein. Much spoil did we take out of the
city, dividing it among the people, so that each
man had his share. And when we had done
this, I commanded my men that they should
depart with all speed ; but they, in their folly,
would not hear me. For there was much wine
to drink, and sheep and kine to slay ; therefore
they sat on the shore and feasted. Meanwhile
the people of the city fetched others, their kins-
men that dwelt in the mountains, and were
more in number and more valiant than they,
and skilful in all manner of fighting. In the
early morning they assembled themselves to-
gether, thick as the flowers and the leaves that
grow in the springtime, and set the battle in
array. Then we fought with them ; while the
day waxed we prevailed over them, and beat
them back, though they were more in number
than we ; but when the sun was descending in

102 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

the heavens, then the Cicones overcame us,
and drave us to our ships. Six from each ship
perished, but the remnant of us escaped from
death.

" Then we sailed, stricken with grief for our
dear comrades, yet rejoicing that we had
escaped from destruction. Yet, before we set
sail, we called each man that had fallen in the
battle by his name three times. When we had
sailed a little space, Zeus sent the north wind
against us with a mighty storm, covering with
clouds both land and sea, and the ships were
driven before it. So we lowered the sails, and
rowed the ships to the land with all our might.
For two days we endured much distress and
sorrow, but on the third, when the morning
light appeared, we hoisted the sails and rested.
Then had I come to my own country, but the
north wind and the sea drave me from my
course, so that I was carried past Cythera.
For nine days did the wind carry us before it.

" And on the tenth day we came to the land
where the lotus grows — a wondrous fruit, of
which whosoever eats cares not to see country

THE CYCLOPS. 103

or wife or children asrain. Now the Lotus-

eaters, for so they called the people of the land,
were a kindly folk, and gave of the fruit to
some of the sailors, not meaning them any
harm, but thinking it to be the best that they
had to give. These, when they had eaten, said
that they would not sail any more over the sea;
which, when I heard, I bade their comrades
bind them and carry them, sadly complaining,
to the ships.

" Then, the wind having abated, we took to
our oars, and rowed for many days till we came
to the country where the' Cyclopes dwell.
Now a mile or so from the shore there was an
island, very fair and fertile, but no man dwells
there or tills the soil, and in the island a har-
bour where a ship may be safe from all winds,
and at the head of the harbour a stream falling

from a rock, and whispering alders all about it.
Into this the ships passed safely, and were
hauled up on the beach, and the crews slept by
them, waiting for the morning.

" When the dawn appeared, then we wan-
dered through the island ; and the Nymphs of

104 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

the land started the wild goats that my com-
pany might have food to eat. Thereupon we
took our bows and our spears from the ships,
and shot at the goats ; and the gods gave us
plenty of prey. Twelve ships I had in my
company, and each ship had nine goats for
their share, and my own portion was ten.

" Then all the day we sat and feasted, drink-
ing the sweet wine which we had taken from
the city of the Cicones, and eating the flesh of
the goats ; and as we sat we looked across to
the land of the Cyclops, seeing the smoke and
hearing the voices of the men and of the sheep
and of the goats. And when the sun set and
darkness came over the land, we lay down
upon the seashore and slept.

" The next day I gathered my men together,
and said, ' Abide ye here, dear friends ; I with
my own ship and my own company will go
and make trial of the folk that dwell in yonder
island, whether they are just or unjust/

" So I climbed into my ship, and bade my
company follow me : so we came to the land of
the Cyclops. Close to the shore was a cave,

THE CYCLOPS. 105

with laurels round about the mouth. This was
the dwelling of the Cyclops. Alone he dwelt,
a creature without law. Nor was he like to
mortal men, but rather to some wooded peak
of the hills that stands out apart from all the
rest.

" Then I bade the rest of my comrades
abide by the ship, and keep it, but I took
twelve men, the bravest that there were in the
crew, and went forth. I had with me a goat-
skin full of the wine, dark red, and sweet, which
the priest of Apollo at Ismarus had given
me. Because we kept him and his wife and
child from harm when we sacked the city,
reverencing the eod, therefore did he give it

o o o

me. Three things did he give me, — seven
talents of gold, and a mixing-bowl of silver,
and of wine twelve jars. So precious was it
that none in his house knew of it saving him-

self and his wife and one dame that kept the
house. When they drank of it they mixed
twenty measures of water with one of wine,
and the smell that went up from it was won-
drous sweet. No man could easily refrain

106 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

from drinking it. With this wine I filled a
great skin and bore it with me ; also I bare
corn in a wallet, for my heart within me boded
that I should need it.

" So we entered the cave, and judged that it
was the dwelling of some rich and skilful shep-
herd. For within there were pens for the
young of the sheep and of the goats, divided
all according to their ao;e, and there were bas-

o o

kets full of cheeses, and full milkpails ranged
along the wall. But the Cyclops himself was
away in the pastures. Then my companions
besought me that I would depart, taking with
me, if I would, a store of cheeses and sundry
of the lambs and of the kids. But I would
not, for I wished to see, after my wont, what
manner of host this strange shepherd might
be, and, if it might be, to take a gift from his
hand, such as is the due of strangers. Verily,
his coming was not to be a joy to my company.
" It was evening when the Cyclops came
home, a mighty giant, very tall of stature, and
when we saw him we fled into the secret
place of the cave in great fear. On his shoul-

THE CYCLOPS. 107

der he bore a vast bundle of pine logs for his
fire, and threw them down outside the cave
with a great crash, and drove the flocks within,
and closed the entrance with a huge rock,
which twenty wagons and more could not
bear. Then he milked the ewes and all the
she-goats, and half of the milk he curdled for
cheese, and half he set ready for himself, when
he should sup. Next he kindled a fire with
the pine logs, and the flame lighted up all the
cave, showing to him both me and my comrades.

" ' Who are ye ? ' cried Polyphemus, for that
was the giant's name. ' Are ye traders, or,
haply, pirates ? '

" I shuddered at the dreadful voice and
shape, but bare me bravely, and answered :
4 We are no pirates, mighty sir, but Greeks
sailing back from Troy, and subjects of the
great King Agamemnon, whose fame is spread
from one end of heaven to the other. And we
are come to beg hospitality of thee in the
name of Zeus, who rewards or punishes hosts
and guests, according as they be faithful the
one to the other, or no.'

108 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

" ' Nay,' said the giant ; ' it is but idle talk to
tell me of Zeus and the other gods. We
Cyclopes take no account of gods, holding
ourselves to be much better and stronger than
they. But come, tell me where have you left
your ship ? '

" But I saw his thought when he asked

about the ship, how he was minded to break it,
and take from us all hope of flight. Therefore
I answered him craftily : —

" ' Ship have we none, for that which was
ours King Poseidon brake, driving it on a
jutting rock on this coast, and we whom thou
seest are all that are escaped from the waves.'

" Polyphemus answered nothing, but with-
out more ado caught up two of the men, as a
man might catch up the whelps of a dog, and
dashed them on the ground, and tare them
limb from limb, and devoured them, with huge
draughts of milk between, leaving not a mor-
sel, not even the very bones. But we that
were left, when we saw the dreadful deed,
could only weep and pray to Zeus for help.
And when the giant had filled his maw with

THE CYCLOPS. 1 09

human flesh and with the milk of the flocks,
he lay down among his sheep and slept.

" Then I questioned much in my heart
whether I should slay the monster as he slept,
for I doubted not that my good sword would
pierce to the giant's heart, mighty as he was.
But my second thought kept me back, for I
remembered that, should I slay him, I and my
comrades would yet perish miserably. For
who should move away the great rock that lay
against the door of the cave ? So we waited
till the morning, with grief in our hearts.
And the monster woke, and milked his flocks,
and afterwards, seizing two men, devoured
them for his meal. Then he went to the
pastures, but put the great rock on the mouth
of the cave, just as a man puts down the lid
upon his quiver.

" All that day I was thinking what I might
best do to save myself and my companions,
and the end of my thinking was this : there
was a mighty pole in the cave, green wood of
an olive tree, big as a ship's mast, which Poly-
phemus purposed to use, when the smoke

1 10 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

should have dried it, as a walking-staff. Of
this I cut off a fathom's length, and my com-
rades sharpened it and hardened it in the fire,
and then hid it away. At evening the giant
came back, and drove his sheep into the cave,
nor left the rams outside, as he had been wront to
do before, but shut them in. And having duly
done his shepherd's work, he took, as before, two
of my comrades, and devoured them. And when
he had finished his supper, I came forward,
holding the wine-skin in my hand, and said : —

" ' Drink, Cyclops, now that thou hast feasted.
Drink, and see what precious things we had in
our ship. But no one hereafter will come to
thee with such like, if thou dealest with stran-
gers as cruelly as thou hast dealt with us.'

" Then the Cyclops drank, and was mightily
pleased, and said : ' Give me again to drink,
and tell me thy name, stranger, and I will give
thee a saft such as a host should oive. In good

C_7 t_y £J

truth this is a rare liquor. We, too, have vines,
but they bear not wine like this, which, indeed,
must be such as the o;ods drink in heaven.'

" Then I gave him the cup again, and he

Cfl

>
o

to)
c/i

THE CYCLOPS. Ill

drank. Thrice I gave it to him, and thrice he
drank, not knowing what it was, and how it
would work within his brain.

" Then I spake to him : ' Thou didst ask my
name, Cyclops. My name is No Man. And
now that thou knowest my name, thou shouldest
give me thy gift.'

" And he said : « My gift shall be that I will
eat thee last of all thy company.'

" And as he spake, he fell back in a drunken
sleep. Then I bade my comrades be of good
courage, for the time was come when they
should be delivered. And they thrust the
stake of olive wood into the fire till it was
ready, green as it was, to burst into flame,
and they thrust it into the monster's eye ; for
he had but one eye, and that in the midst of
his forehead, with the eyebrow below it. And
I, standing above, leant with all my force upon
the stake, and turned it about, as a man bores
the timber of a ship with a drill. And the
burning wood hissed in the eye, just as the
red-hot iron hisses in the water when a man
seeks .to temper steel for a sword.

112 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

" Then the giant leapt up, and tore away the
stake, and cried aloud, so that all the Cyclopes
who dwelt on the mountain-side heard him and
came about his cave, asking him : ' What aileth
thee, Polyphemus, that thou makest this uproar
in the peaceful night, driving away sleep ? Is
any one robbing thee of thy sheep, or seeking
to slay thee by craft or force ? '

" And the giant answered, ' No Man slays
me by craft;

•/

" ' Nay, but/ they said, ' if no man does thee
wrong, we cannot help thee. The sickness
which great Zeus may send, who can avoid ?
Pray to our father, Poseidon, for help.'

"So they spake, and I laughed in my heart
when I saw how I had beguiled them by the
name that I had given.

" But the Cyclops rolled away the great
stone from the door of the cave, and sat in the
midst, stretching out his hands, to feel whether
perchance the men within the cave would seek
to LTO out amonsr the sheep.

O O -l

" Lon^ did I think how I and my comrades

O -I

should best escape. At last I lighted upon a

THE CYCLOPS. 113

device that seemed better than all the rest, and
much I thanked Zeus for that this once the
giant had driven the rams with the other sheep
into the cave. For, these being great and
strong, I fastened my comrades under the
bellies of the beasts, tying them with osier
twigs, of which the giant made his bed. One
ram I took, and fastened a man beneath it,
and two others I set, one on either side. So I
did with the six, for but six were left out of the
twelve who had ventured with me from the
ship. And there was one mighty ram, far
larger than all the others, and to this I clung,
grasping the fleece tight with both my hands.
So we all waited for the morning. And when
the morning came, the rams rushed forth to
the pasture; but the giant sat in the door and
felt the back of each as it went by, nor thought
to try what might be underneath. Last of all
went the great ram. And the Cyclops knew
him as he passed, and said : —

" ' How is this, thou, who art the leader of
the flock ? Thou art not wont thus to la^

behind. Thou hast always been the first to

114 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

run to the pastures and streams in the morn-
ing, and the first to come back to the fold
when evening fell ; and now thou art last of
all. Perhaps thou art troubled about thy mas-
ter's eye, which some wretch — No Man, they
call him — has destroyed, having first mastered
me with wine. He has not escaped, I ween.
I would that thou couldest speak, and tell me
where he is lurking. Of a truth, I would dash
out his brains upon the ground, and avenge me
of this No Man.'

" So speaking, he let the ram pass out of the
cave. But when we were now out of reach of
the giant, I loosed my hold of the ram, and
then unbound my comrades. And we has-
tened to our ship, not forgetting to drive the
sheep before us, and often looking back till we
came to the seashore. Right glad were those
that had abode by the ship to see us. Nor did
they lament for those that had died, though
we were fain to do so, for I forbade, fearing
lest the noise of their weeping should betray
us to the giant, where we were. Then we all
climbed into the ship, and sitting well in order

THE CYCLOPS. 115

on the benches smote the sea with our oars,
laying to right lustily, that we might the sooner
get away from the accursed land. And when
we had rowed a hundred yards or so, so that
a man's voice could yet be heard by one who
stood upon the shore, I stood up in the ship
and shouted : —

"'He was no coward, O Cyclops, whose
comrades thou didst so foully slay in thy den.
Justly art thou punished, monster, that devour-
est thy guests in thy dwelling. May the gods
make thee suffer yet worse things than these ! '

" Then the Cyclops in his wrath brake off
the top of a great hill, a mighty rock, and

•

hurled it where he had heard the voice. Right
in front of the ship's bow it fell, and a great
wave rose as it sank, and washed the ship
back to the shore. But I seized a long pole
with both hands, and pushed the ship from
the land, and bade my comrades ply their
oars, nodding with my head, for I would not
speak, lest the Cyclops should know where
we were. Then they rowed with all their
might and main.

II 6 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

" And when we had gotten twice as far as

before, I made as if I would speak again ; but
my comrades sought to hinder me, saying:
' Nay, my lord, anger not the giant any more.
Surely we thought before we were lost, when
he threw the great rock, and washed our ship
back to the shore. And if he hear thee now,
he may crush our ship and us, for the man
throws a mighty bolt, and throws it far.'

" But I would not be persuaded, but stood
up and said : ' Hear, Cyclops ! If any man ask
who blinded thee, say that it was the warrior
Ulysses, son of Laertes, dwelling in Ithaca.'

" And the Cyclops answered with a groan :
' Of a truth, the old oracles are fulfilled ; for
long ago there came to this land one Telemus,
a prophet, and dwelt among us even to old
age. This man foretold to me that one
Ulysses would rob me of my sight. But I
looked for a great man and a strong, who
should subdue me by force, and now a weak-
ling has done the deed, having cheated me
with wine. But come thou hither, Ulysses,
and I will be a host indeed to thee. Or, at

THE CYCLOPS. llj

least, may Poseidon give thee such a voyage
to thy home as I would wish thee to have.
For know that Poseidon is my sire. May be
that he may heal me of my grievous wound.'

" And I said, ' Would to God I could send
thee down to the abode of the dead, where
thou wouldest be past all healing, even from
Poseidon's self.'

" Then the Cyclops lifted up his hands to
Poseidon and prayed : ' Hear me, Poseidon, if
I am indeed thy son and thou my father.
May this Ulysses never reach his home ! or,
if the Fates have ordered that he should reach
it, may he come alone, all his comrades lost,
and come to find sore trouble in his house ! '

" And as he ended, he hurled another mighty
rock, which almost lighted on the rudder's end,
yet missed it as by a hair's breadth. And the
wave that it raised was so great that it bare
us to the other shore.

" So we came to the island of the wild goats,
where we found our comrades, who, indeed,
had waited long for us in sore fear lest we had
perished. Then I divided amongst my com-

Il8 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

pany all the sheep which we had taken from
the Cyclops. And all, with one consent, gave
me for my share the great ram which had
carried me out of the cave, and I sacrificed it
to Zeus. And all that day we feasted right
merrily on the flesh of sheep and on sweet
wine, and when the night was come, we lay
down upon the shore and slept.

AEOLUS', THE L&STRYGONSi CIRCE.

CHAPTER XI.

AEOLUS ; THE L^STRYGONS ; CIRCE.
(THE TALE OF ULYSSES.)

" THE next morning we set sail, and came,
after a while, to the island where dwelleth
/Eolus. A floating island it is, and it hath
about it an unbroken wall of bronze, and the
cliff runs up sheer from the sea. Twelve chil-
dren hath ^Eolus, six sons and six daughters,
and they dwell with him and feast with him and
their mother day by day. For a whole month
did the King entertain me in right friendly
fashion, and I told him in order the whole
story of the things that had been done at Troy.

" Afterwards I told him of my journey, and
asked help of him. This he denied not, but
gave me the skin of an ox nine years old, in
which he had bound all the winds that were
contrary to me, for Zeus hath made him
keeper of the winds, that he may rouse them

120 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

or put them to rest as he will. This wallet of
ox-hide he bound fast to the deck of the ship
with a thong of silver, that not a wind might
escape from it. But he let a gentle west wind
blow, that it might carry me and my comrades
to our home. For nine days it blew, and now
we were near to Ithaca, our country, so that
we saw the men that tended the beacon-lights,
for it was now near to the dawn on the tenth
day.

" But now, by an ill chance, I fell asleep,
being wholly wearied out, for I had held the
helm for nine days, nor trusted it to any of my
comrades. And while I slept my comrades,
who had cast eyes of envy on the great ox-
hide, said one to another : —

" ' Strange it is how men love and honour

this Ulysses whithersoever he goes. And now
he comes back from Troy with much spoil, but
we with empty hands. Let us see what it is
that ^Eolus hath sfiven him, for doubtless in

this ox-hide is much silver and £old.

" So they loosed the great bag of ox-hide,
and lo ! all the winds rushed out, and carried

AEOLUS; THE L^ESTRYGONSi CIRCE. 121

us far away from our country. But I, waking
with the tumult, doubted much whether I
should not throw myself into the sea and so
die. But I endured, thinking it better to live.
Only I veiled my face and so lay still while the
ships drave before the winds, till we came
again to the island of yEolus. Then we
landed, and fetched water, and ate our meal by
the side of our ships. And when our meal
was ended, I took a herald and one of my com-
pany, and went to the palace of the King, and
found him feasting with his wife and children,

and I sat down on the threshold. Much did
they wonder to see me, saying, ' What evil
power has hindered thee, that thou didst not
reach thy country and home ? '

" Then I answered : ' Blame not me, but the
evil counsels of my comrades, and sleep, which
mastered me to my hurt. But do ye help me

again.

" But he said, ' Begone ! we may not help
him wrhom the gods hate ; and hated of them
thou surely art.'

" So v^Eolus sent me away. Then again we

122 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

launched our ships and set forth, toiling wear-
ily at the oars, and sad at heart.

" Six days we rowed, nor rested at night ;
and on the seventh we came to Lamos, which
was a city of the Lasstrygons, in whose land
the night is as the day, so that a man might
earn double wage, if only he wanted not sleep
— shepherd by day and herdsman by night.
There was a fair haven with cliffs about it, and
a narrow mouth with great rocks on either side.
And within are no waves, but always calm.

" Now I made fast my ship to the rocks that
were without, but the others entered the haven.
Then I sent two men, and a herald with them,
and these came upon a smooth road by which
wagons brought down wood from the moun-
tain to the city. Here they met a maiden, the
stalwart daughter of Antiphates, King of the
land, and asked of her who was lord of that
country. Whereupon she showed them her
father's lofty palace. And they, entering this,
saw the maiden's mother, big as a mountain,
horrible to behold, who straightway called to
Antiphates, her husband. The messengers,

AEOLUS', THE L&STRYGONS i CIRCE. 123

indeed, fled to the ships ; but he made a great
shout, and the Laestrygons came flocking about
him, giants, not men. And these broke off
great stones from the cliffs, each stone as much
as a man could carry, and cast them at the
ships, so that they were broken. And the
men they speared, as if they were fishes, and
devoured them. So it happened to all the
ships in the haven. I only escaped, for I cut
the hawser with my sword, and bade my men
ply their oars, which indeed they did right will-
ingly.

" After awhile we came to the island of
/Easa, where Circe dwelt, who is the daughter
of the Sun. Two days and nights we lay upon
the shore in great trouble and sorrow. On the
third I took my spear and sword and climbed
a hill that there was, for I wished to see to
what manner of land we had come. And
having climbed it, I saw the smoke rising from
the palace of Circe, where it stood in the midst
of a wood. Then I thought awhile : should I
go straightway to the palace that I saw, or first
return to my comrades on the shore. And it

124 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

seemed the better counsel to go to the ship
and bid my comrades make their midday meal,
and afterwards send them to search out the
place. But as I went, some god took pity on
me, and sent a great stag, with mighty antlers,
across my path. The stag was going down to
the river to drink, for indeed the sun was now
hot ; and casting my spear at it I pierced it
through. Then I fastened together the feet

<D O

with screen withes and a fathom's length of

o o

rope, and slinging the beast round my neck, so
carried it to the ship, leaning on my spear ;
for indeed it was heavy to bear, nor was it
possible for me to carry it on my shoulder with
one hand. And when I was come to the ship,
I cast down my burden. Now the men were
sitting with their faces muffled, so sad were

they. But when I bade them be of good
cheer, they looked up and marvelled at the
great stag. And all that day we feasted on
deer's flesh and sweet wine, and at night lay
down to sleep on the shore. But when morn-
ing was come, I called my comrades together,
and spake : ' I know not, friends, where we

AEOLUS; THE L&STRYGONS ; CIRCE. 125

are. Only I know, having seen smoke yester-
day from the hill, that there is a dwelling in
this island.

" It troubled the men much to hear this, for
they thought of the Cyclops and of the Laes-
trygons ; and they wailed aloud, but there was
no counsel in them. Wherefore I divided
them into two companies. I set Eurylochus
over the one and I myself took command of
the other, and I shook lots in a helmet who
should go and search out the island, and the
lot of Eurylochus leapt out. So he went, and
comrades twenty and two with him. And in
an open space in the wood they found the
palace of Circe. All about were wolves and
lions ; yet these harmed not the men, but stood
up on their hind legs, fawning upon them, as
dogs fawn upon their master when he comes
from his meal, because he brings the fragments
with him that they love. And the men were
afraid. And they stood in the porch and heard
the voice of Circe as she sang with a lovely
voice and plied the loom. Then said Polites,
who was dearest of all my comrades to me, in

126 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

whom also I most trusted : ' Some one within
plies a great loom, and sings with a loud voice.
Some goddess is she, or woman. Let us make
haste and call.'

" So they called to her, and she came out
and beckoned to them that they should follow.
So they went, in their folly. And she bade
them sit, and mixed for them a mess, red wine,
and in it barley-meal and cheese and honey,
and mighty drugs withal, of which, if a man
drank, he forgot all that he loved. And when
they had drunk she smote them with her wand.
And lo ! they had of a sudden the heads and
the voices and the bristles of swine, but the
heart of a man was in them still. And Circe
shut them in sties, and gave them mast and
acorns and cornel to eat.

" But Eurylochus fled back to the ship,
bringing tidings of what had befallen his com-
rades. For a time he could not speak a word,
so full was his heart of grief, and his eyes of
tears. But, at last, when we had asked him
many questions, he told us this tale, saying :
'We went through the wood, as thou badest

AEOLUS; THE L&STRYGONS; CIRCE. 127

us ; and in the midst of the glades we found
a house, very fair, builded of polished stone.
And one within wove at a great loom, singing
with a clear voice, but whether she was a god-
dess or a woman we knew not. Then my com-
rades called to her, and she came out, and
opened the doors and bade them come in. So
they went in, but I alone stayed without, for I
feared lest there might be some treachery. I
saw not any of them again, though I tarried
long.'

" Thereupon I cast about my shoulder my
silver-studded sword, and took my bow also,
and bade him lead me by the way by which he
had gone. But he caught me by both my
hands, and besought me, saying : ' Take me
not thither against my will ; for I am per-
suaded that thou thyself wilt not return again,
nor bring any of thy comrades. -Let us rather
that remain flee, and escape death.' Then I
said, ' Stay here by the ship, eating and drink-
ing, if it be thy will, but I must go, for neces-
sity constrains me.'

" And when I had come to the house, there

128 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

met we Hermes of the golden wand, in the
shape of a fair youth, who said to me : —

'" Art thou come to rescue thy comrades that
are now swine in Circe's house ? Nay, but
thou shalt never go back thyself. Yet, stay ;
I will give thee such a drug as shall give thee
power to resist all her charms. For when she
shall have mixed thee a mess, and smitten thee
with her wand, then do thou rush upon her
with thy sword, making as if thou wouldest slay
her. And when she shall pray for peace, do
thou make her swear by the great oath that
binds the gods that she will not harm thee.'

" Then Hermes showed me a certain herb,
whose root was black, but the flower white as
milk. ' Moly,' the gods call it, and very hard
it is for mortal man to find ; but to the gods
all things are possible.

" Thereupon Hermes departed to Olympus,
but I went on to the palace of the goddess,
much troubled in heart. When I came thither
I stood in the porch and called, and Circe
came, and opened the doors, and bade me
come in.

AEOLUS', THE L^ESTRYGONS '; CIRCE. 129

" Then she set me on a great chair, skilfully
carven, with a footstool for my feet. Afterward
she gave me drink in a cup of gold, but she
had mixed in it a deadly charm. This I drank,
but was not bewitched, for the herb saved me.
Then she smote me with her wand, saying :
' Go now to the sty and lie there with thy
fellows.' Thereupon I drew my sword, and
rushed upon her, as though I would have
slain her. Then she caught me by the
knees, and cried aloud : ' Who art thou ?
What is thy race ? I marvel that thou
couldest drink of this drink that I have
charmed, and yet take no hurt. I thought
that there was no mortal man that could so
do. Thou must have a soul against which
there is no enchantment. Verily, thou must
be that Ulysses who was to come to this island
as he returned from Troy, for so Hermes told
me. But come, let us be friends.' Then I
said to her : ' Nay, goddess, but how can we
two be friends, when thou hast turned my com-
panions into swine. I fear thee that thou hast
some deceit in thy heart, and thou wilt take

130 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

me unawares, and do me a great mischief. But
swear a mighty oath, even the oath by which the
gods are bound, that thou wilt not harm me.'

" Then Circe sware the mighty oath, even
the oath by which the gods are bound.

" After this her handmaids, that were fair
women born of the springs and streams and
woods, prepared a feast. One set coverlets of
purple on the chairs, and another brought up
tables of silver to the chair, and set on the
tables baskets of gold. A third mixed sweet
wine in a bowl of silver, and set thereby cups
of gold ; and the fourth filled a great caldron
with water, and put fire under it. And when
it boiled, she mixed it with water in the bath,
duly tempering it, and the bath took away the
weariness from my limbs. And when I had
bathed, a handmaid bare water in an ewer of
gold, and poured it over a basin of gold, that I
might wash my hands. Then the housekeeper
brought me wheaten bread, and set many
dainties on the table ; and Circe bade me
eat ; but I sat silent and sorrowful, having
other thoughts in my mind.

a
u

u,
o

Cd
•J

E-

AEOLUS', THE L&STRYGONSi CIRCE. 131

" And when the goddess perceived that I
was silent and ate not, she said : ' Why dost
thou sit, Ulysses, as though thou wert dumb ?
Fearest thou any craft of mine ? Nay, but that
may not be, for have I not sworn the great oath
that binds the gods ? '

" Then I made answer, ' Nay, but who
could think of meat and drink when such
things had befallen his companions ? '

" Then Circe led the way, holding her wand
in her hand, and opened the doors of the sties,
and drove out the swine that had been men.
Then she rubbed on each another mighty drug,
and the bristles fell from their bodies and they
became men, only younger and fairer than
before. And when they saw me, they clung to
me and wept for joy, and Circe herself was
moved with pity.

" Then said she to me : ' Go, Ulysses, to thy
ship, and put away all the goods and tackling
in the caves that are on the shore, but come
again hither thyself, and bring thy comrades
with thee.'

" Then I went. Right glad were they who

132 THE STORY OF 7^HE ODYSSEY.

had stayed to see me, glad as are the calves
who have been penned in the fold-yard when
their mothers come back in the evening. And
when I told them what had been, and would
have them follow me, they were all willing,
save only Eurylochus, who said : —

" ' O ye fools, whither are we going ? To
the dwelling of Circe, who will change us all
into swine, or wolves, or lions, and keep us in
prison, even as the Cyclops did ! For was it
not this same foolhardy Ulysses that lost our
comrades there ? '

" Then I was very wroth and would have
slain Eurylochus, though he was near of kin to
me. But my comrades hindered me, saying:
' Let him abide here and keep the ship, if he
will. But we will go with thee to the dwelling
of Circe.'

" Then I forebore to slay him. Nor did
Eurylochus stay behind, but followed with the
rest. So we went to the dwelling of Circe,
who feasted us royally, so that we remained
with her for a whole year, well content.

" But when the year was out my companions

AEOLUS; THE L^ESTRYGONS -, CIRCE. 133

said to me, " It were well to remember thy
country, if it is indeed the will of the gods that
thou shouldest return thither.'

" Then I besought Circe that she would send

me on my way homewards, as indeed she had
promised to do. And she answered, saying : —

" ' I would not have you abide in my house
unwillingly. Yet must thou first go another
journey, even to the dwellings of the dead,
there to speak with the seer Teiresias.'

" But I was sore troubled to hear such
things, and wept aloud, saying, ' Who shall
guide us in this journey? — for never yet did
ship make such a voyage as this.'

" Then Circe made answer : * Son of Laer-
tes, trouble not thyself because thou hast no
guide, only set up the mast in thy ship, and
spread out the sails, and sit thee down with thy
companions, and the north wind shall carry
thee to the place whereto thou art bound.
When thou shalt have sailed across the stream
of ocean, thou shalt come to a waste shore,
where are many tall poplar trees and willows.
Beach there thy ship on the shore of ocean,

134 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

and go thyself to the dwelling of Hades.
There is a certain rock, and near to it meet
two streams, to wit, Phlegethon, which is the
river of fire, and Cocytus, which is the river
of wailing. Dig there a trench ; it shall be a
cubit long and a cubit broad ; pour out thereby
a drink offering to the dead : first of mead,

and then of sweet wine, and thirdly of water ;
and sprinkle white barley thereon. And as
thou doest these things entreat the dead, and
promise that when thou shalt come again to
Ithaca, thou wilt offer a barren heifer, even
the best thou hast, and that thou wilt sacrifice
to Teiresias alone a black ram, without blem-
ish, the goodliest in the flock. And after thou
hast made thy prayers to the dead, offer up a
black ram and "a black ewe. See that thou
bend their heads towards Erebus, but turn
thyself to the shore of ocean. Then will come
many spirits of the dead, but suffer them not
to drink of the blood till thou shalt have
spoken to Teiresias. Speedily will the seer
come to thee, and will tell thee how thou
mayest return to thy home.'

&OLUS; THE L&STRYGONS ; CIRCE. 135

" The next morning I roused my compan-
ions, saying, ' Sleep no more ; we will go on
our way, for Circe hath shown to me the whole
matter.'

" So I spake, and they consented to my
words. Yet did not I take all my company
safe from the dwelling of the goddess. There
was a certain Elpenor, who was the youngest
of them all, and was neither valiant nor of an
understanding mind. He was sleeping apart
from his fellows, on the housetop, for being
heavy with wine, he had craved for the cool-
ness of the air. He, then, hearing our voice,
and the sound of the men's feet, as they moved
hither and thither, leapt up of a sudden, and
thought not to come down by the ladder by
which he had gone up, but fell down from the
roof, so that his neck was broken, and he went
down to the dwellings of the dead.

" But as my men were on their way, I spake
to them, saying : ' Ye think that ye are going
to your native country ; not so, for Circe hath
showed me another journey that we must
take, even to the dwelling of Hades, that I

136 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

may speak with the spirit of Teiresias the
seer.'

" So I spake, and their spirit was broken
within them, and they sat down where they
were, and mourned, and tare their hair. But
their weeping profited nothing.

" Meanwhile Circe had gone, and made fast
a ram and a black ewe to the ship, passing on
as we went, for none may mark the goings of
the immortal gods.

THE DWELLINGS OF THE DEAD.

137

CHAPTER XII.

THE DWELLINGS OF THE DEAD.

(THE TALE OF ULYSSES.)

" AFTER this we made ready the ship for
sailing, and put the black sheep on board, and
so departed ; and Circe sent a wind from
behind that rilled the sails ; and all the day
through our ship passed quickly over the sea.

"And when the sun had set we came to the
utmost border of the ocean, where the Cimme-
rians dwell, being compassed about with mist
and cloud. Never doth the Sun behold them,
either when he climbs into the heaven, or
when he descends therefrom ; but darkness
surrounds them. Then I bade two of my
comrades make ready the sheep for sacrifice ;
and I myself dug a pit of a cubit every way,
and poured in it a drink-offering of honey and
milk, and sweet wine, and water, and sprinkled
barley upon the drink-offering. Afterwards
I took the sheep and slew them, that their

138 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

blood ran into the trench. And the sons oi:
the dead were gathered to the place, — maidens,
and old men who had borne the sorrows oi
many years, and warriors that had been slain
in battle, having their arms covered with blood.
All these gathered about the pit with a terrible
cry; and I was sore afraid. Then I bade my
comrades flay the carcasses of the sheep, and
burn them with fire, and pray to the gods of
the dead ; but I myself sat down by the pit's,
side, and would not suffer the souls of the dead
to come near unto the blood until I had in-
quired of Teiresias.

" First of all came the soul of my comrade
Elpenor. Much did I wonder to see him, and
I asked, ' How comest thou hither, Elpenor, to
the land of darkness ? and how have thy feet
outstripped my ship?' Then said Elpenor:
' I fell from the roof of the palace of Circe, not
bethinking me of the ladder, and so brake my
neck. But now, I pray thee, if thou lovest
wife and father and son, forget me not, when
thou returnest to the island of Circe, neither
leave me without lamentation or burial. Burn

THE DWELLINGS OF THE DEAD. 139

me with fire and my arms with me ; and make
a mound for me by the shore of the sea, that
men may hear of me and of my fate in after
time. And set up my oar upon my tomb,
even the oar which I was wont to ply among
my comrades.'

"Then I said to him, 'All this shall be done
as thou desirest.'

" And we sat on either side of the trench as
we talked, and I held my sword over the blood.,

" After him came to me the soul of my mother,
whom I had left alive when I sailed to Troy.
Sorely I wept to see her, yet suffered her not
to come near and drink of the blood till I had
inquired of Teiresias. Then came Teiresias,
holding a golden sceptre in his hand, and
spake, saying : ' Why hast thou left the light
of day, and come hither to this land of the
dead, wherein is no delight ? But come, de-
part from the pit, and take away thy sword,
that I may come near and tell thee true.'

u So I thrust my sword into the scabbard ;
and Teiresias drank of the blood ; and when
he had drunk, he spake : ' Thou seekest to

140 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

hear of thy going back to thy home. Know,
therefore, that it shall be with peril and toil.
For Poseidon will not easily lay aside his
wrath against thee, because thou didst take
from his dear son, the Cyclops, the sight of
his eye. Yet for all this ye may yet come safe
to your home, if only thou canst restrain thy-
self and thy comrades when ye come to the
island of the Three Capes, and find there the
oxen and the sheep of the Sun. If ye let them
be and harm them not, then may ye yet return
to Ithaca, though it be after grievous toil.
But if not, then shall ye perish. And if thou
escape thyself, after long time shalt thou
return, having lost all thy comrades, and the
ship of strangers shall carry thee ; and thou
shalt find trouble in thy house, even men of
violence that will devour thy substance while
they seek thy wife in marriage. And when
thou shalt have avenged thyself on these,
whether it be by craft, or openly with the
sword, then take thine oar and travel till thou
come into the land of men that know not the
sea, and eat not their meat mingled with salt,

THE DWELLINGS OF THE DEAD. 141

and have never looked on ships nor on oars,
which are as the wings of ships. And this
shall be a clear token to thee, when another
traveller, meeting thee in the way, shalt say
that thou bearest a winnowing fan upon thy
shoulders : then fix thine oar in the ground
and do sacrifice to Poseidon, even a sheep,
and a bull, and a boar. And afterwards re-
turn to thy home, and offer sacrifice of a hun-
dred beasts to all the gods. And death shall
come to thee far from the sea, very gentle,
and thou shalt die in thy old age, with thy
people dwelling in peace about thee.'

" To him I made answer : ' So be it, Teire-
sias. All these things the gods have ordered
after their own will. But tell me this. Here
I see the soul of my mother that is dead ; and
she sits near the blood, but regards me not,
nor speaks to me. How can she know me,
that I am indeed her son ? '

" Then said Teiresias : * Whomsoever of the
dead thou shalt suffer to drink of the blood,
he will speak to thee ; but whomsoever thou
sufferest not, he will depart in silence/

142 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY,

" So I abode in my place ; and the soul of
my mother came near and drank of the blood.
And when she had drunk, she knew her son,
and said : ' My son, why hast thou come into
the land of darkness, being yet alive ? Hast
thou not yet returned to thy home ? '

" To her I made answer: ' I came hither to
inquire of Teiresias of Thebes, and my home
have I not seen. Truly trouble hath followed
me from the day that I first went with King
Agamemnon to the land of Troy. But tell
me, how didst thou die ? Did a wasting dis-
ease slay thee, or did Artemis smite thee with
sudden stroke of her arrow ? And my father
and my son, have they enjoyment of that which
is mine, or have others taken it from them ?
And my wife, is she true to me, or hath she
wedded some prince among the Greeks ? '

" Then said my mother : ' Thy wife is true,
and sits weeping for thee day and night. And
thy son hath enjoyment of thy possessions,
and hath his due place at the feasts of the
people. But thy father cometh no longer to
the city, but abideth in the country. Nor

THE DWELLINGS OF THE DEAD. 143

hath he any couch for his bed, but in winter-
tide he sleeps, even as sleep the slaves, in the
ashes near unto the fire, and when the sum-
mer comes, in the corner of the vineyard upon
leaves. Greatly doth he sorrow, waiting for
thy return, and the burden of old age lies
heavy upon him. But as for me, no wasting
disease slew me, nor did Artemis smite me
with her arrows ; but I died of longing for thee,
so sorely did I miss thy wisdom and thy love.'
" Then I was fain to lay hold upon the soul
of my mother. Thrice I sprang forward, eager
to embrace her, and thrice she passed from out
my hands, even as passeth a shadow. And
when I said, ' How is this, my mother ? art
thou then but a phantom, that the Queen of
the dead hath sent me ? ' my mother answered
me : * Thus it is with the dead, my son. They
have no more any flesh and bones ; for these
the might of the fire devours ; but their souls
are even as dreams, flying hither and thither.
But do thou return so soon as may be to the

light, and tell all that thou hast seen and heard
<_>

to thy wife.'

144 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

" After I had ended my talk with my mother,
there came to me, by the sending of Queen
Persephone, the souls of the famous women
that had been of old. And I suffered them
to come near, one by one, and drink of the
blood ; and each, when she had drunk, told
me her name and her lineage. Thus I saw

Alcmena, that bare Hercules to Zeus, and
Chloris, that was mother of Nestor, the wisest
of mortal men, and Leda, whose sons were
Castor, the tamer of horses, and Pollux, the
mighty boxer, and Iphimedia, wife of Aloeus,
who bare Otus and Ephialtes, tallest of mortal
men, and fairest also, after noble Orion. Tall-
est they were ; for, being but nine years old,
they had fifty-and-four feet of height, and of
breadth fifteen. These were minded to make
war upon the gods, purposing to set Ossa on
Olympus, and Pelion, with all its woods, upon
Ossa. So they purposed ; and verily they had
done so, had they come to their full growth ;
but the son of Zeus, whom Latona bare to him,
slew them with his arrows before the down had
grown upon their cheeks. Ariadne also did I

THE DWELLINGS OF THE DEAD. 145

see, daughter of King Minos, whom Theseus
carried away from the land of Crete, and
would have wedded her, but Artemis smote
with her arrows ; and Eriphyle, that sold the
life of her husband for gold. These I saw,
and many others also, wives and daughters of
heroes.

" And when these had departed, for Queen
Persephone bade them go even as she had sent
them, there came the soul of Agamemnon, son
of Atreus. Sorely grieving it came, and about
it were the souls of all that had perished to-
gether with him by the evil craft of /Egisthus.
And when his spirit had drunk of the blood, it
knew me, and stretched out its hands to me,
seeking to lay hold of me, but could not, for it
was a shadow only, and had no substance in it.
And when I saw it, I had pity on the King,
and spake : ' Tell me, King Agamemnon, that
was greatest of all the kings of the earth, what

o o

doom of death hath come upon thee ? Did
Poseidon raise a mighty storm against thee,
and break thy ships ? or did men slay thee on
the land, when thou wast seeking to drive

146 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

away their cattle and sheep or to take their
city by force ? '

" Then Agamemnon made answer : ' Neither
did Poseidon break my ships, nor did men
slay me upon the land, but ^Egisthus con-
trived death against me ; he and my accursed
wife together took counsel against me. He

o o

called me to a feast, and after the feast he slew
me as a man smiteth an ox at the manger.

Thus did I die in lamentable fashion, I and
my comrades about me ; for they were slain
without mercy, as swine are slain in some rich
man's house for a marriage, or a common feast,
or a banquet. Verily, I have seen the deaths of
many men, of whom some were slain alone, and
some in the press of the battle ; but never saw
I slaughter so piteous as this, when about the
mixing bowls of wine, and the tables laden with
meat, we lay dying in the hall, and the pave-
ment ran with blood. And as I lay, I heard
the very piteous voice of Cassandra, the daugh-
ter of Priam, whom Clytemnestra, my wife,
slew for my sake. Then I laid my hands
upon my sword, even as I was dying, and

THE DWELLINGS OF THE DEAD. 147

would have raised it for a stroke. And she, my
evil wife, stood apart ; neither would she close
my eyes or my mouth. Surely there is nothing
on the earth more terrible or shameless than a
woman. For think what a deed this woman
did, — contriving death against her own hus-

o o

band ! And I had thought that I should come

a welcome guest to my children and my house-
hold ; and lo ! the greeting that I had ! Verily,
this woman hath wrought that which shall be a

shame for all women hereafter, even for them
that shall do righteously.'

" Then I made answer to him : ' Verily, Zeus
hath wrought great evil to this house by
means of the race of women. Many they were
that were slain in war for Helen's sake, and
Clytemnestra also contrived death for thee.'

"Then King Agamemnon spake again:
' Mind that thou be not gentle with any
woman whatsoever, nor tell to any all thy
counsel, but rather show a part and hide a
part. Nevertheless, Ulysses, thy doom shall
not come to thee from thy wife, for Penelope,
the daughter of Icarus, is good and wise. We

148 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

left her, I mind me, a newly married wife in
thy house, when we sailed for Troy ; and she
had thy young son upon her breast. Now, I
take it, he hath come to man's estate. Happy
is he, for his dear father will see him when he
cometh to his home, and they two shall clasp
each other in their arms as father and son
should do. But as for me, my wife suffered
me not to satisfy my eyes with looking on my
son, but slew me first. And hearken thou
a^ain to this tiling that I tell thee. When

o o

thou comest back to thy native land, come not
openly, but in secret, for men may not trust in
women any more. Remember thou this, and
tell me also, didst thou hear perchance of my
son Orestes, that he lived, when thou wast in
Pylos, maybe, or in Sparta, with my brother
Menelalis ? For surely he is yet alive.'

" To this I answered, ' Ask me not concern-
ing him, for I know not whether he be alive
or dead ; and it is ill to speak things that
profit not.'

" So we two spake together ; and afterwards
there came other souls, as of Achilles, and of

THE DWELLINGS OF THE DEAD. 149

Patroclus, and of Antilochus, that was eldest
son of King Nestor, and of Ajax, that was the
strongest of all the Greeks after the son of
Peleus.

" And first Achilles spake to me in a piteous
voice : ' What marvellous deed is that thou
hast done, son of Laertes ? How didst thou
dare to come down to the land wherein dwell
the spirits of the dead ? '

"To him I made answer: 'I came hither,
Achilles, to inquire of Teiresias the seer, if
he would show me some counsel by which I
might return to Ithaca. For I have not yet
attained to the land of Greece, nor to my
native land, but wrander about in trouble with-
out end. So evil is my doom ; but there never
hath been man that was happier than thou,
no, nor shall be hereafter ; for while thou wast
yet alive, we Greeks honoured thee, as men
honour a god ; and now that thou art dead,
thou art the king of all the folk that dwell
therein.'

" But Achilles answered me forthwith :
1 Speak to me, Ulysses, no comfortable words

150 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

about death. Verily, I would desire to serve
for hire some man of little substance, that had
but scant provision for his house, so that I
might be alive upon the earth, rather than be
king over all the dead. But come, tell me
tidings of my son, if thou hast any. Did he go
to the war to be the first among the princes ?
Tell me, also, of the old man Peleus, my
father. Doth he yet hold his place of honour
among the Myrmidons ? or do they make him
of little account because old a^e hath come

upon him, taking from him the swiftness of
his feet and the strength of his hands ? Verily,
if I could come to help him under the light
of the sun, being such as I was in the old
days, when I slew heroes without number
before the walls of Troy, verily, I say, I would
hinder them who do him violence, and keep
him from the honour that is his.'

"I made answer: 'Of Peleus I have heard
nothing; but of thy son Neoptolemus I will
tell thee all the truth as thou wouldest have
me do. I brought him myself from the island
of Scyros to Troy, to the host of the Greeks.

THE DWELLINGS OF THE DEAD. 151

And when he came among us, he was behind
no man in counsel. And in battle he never
abode in the crowd, but was ever foremost,
and slew many in the host of the Trojans. I
could not tell their names, so many they were ;
but the chiefest of all was Eurypylus, the
Mysian, that was son to King Telephus, and
was the fairest of men that ever I beheld, save
only Memnon, the son of the Morning. And
when we entered into the Horse of Wood, that
Epelis wrought for the Greeks, that we might
take the city of Troy, then all the other
princes of the Greeks wept sore, and trembled
for fear; but he alone grew not pale at all,
nor wiped a tear from his cheek, but was ever
longing to go forth from the Horse, and had
his hand upon the hilt of his sword, purposing
evil against the men of Troy. And when we
sacked the fair city of King Priam, then he
had a goodly portion of the spoil, and sailed
home therewith in his ship ; nor was he
wounded at all with spear or sword, as oft-
times chanceth to men in the press of the bat-
tle.' So I spake, and the soul of Achilles de-

152 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

parted with great strides through the meadow
of asphodel, very glad because his son had
won for himself much renown in war.

" The souls of other heroes also spake to
me, and told their grief; but Ajax, the son of
Telamon, stood apart, and kept silence. For
he was wroth because I had prevailed over
him when we two had contended together for
the arms of Achilles. And I said : ' Art thou,
great Ajax, still angry by reason of these
accursed arms ? Surely the gods made them
a trouble to the Greeks, seeing that they
caused thee, who wast a very tower of strength
to the host, to perish. Truly the Greeks
mourned for thee, even as they mourned for
Achilles, the son of Peleus. Yet blame not
me, therefore, I pray thee, but Zeus, who bare
a grudge against the Greeks ; and come hither
and speak with me.'

" But Ajax spake not a word, but departed.

" After this I saw King Minos sitting on a
throne holding a sceptre of gold in his hand.
Thus he sat and judged the dead.

" Also1 I saw the giant Orion driving the

THE DWELLINGS OF THE DEAD. 153

beasts together, as a hunter drives them, in a
meadow of asphodel, and he held in his hand
a great club wrought wholly of bronze.

" And I saw Tityos, the mighty son of
Earth. On the ground he lay, and covered
seven furlongs. Two vultures sat by him and
tare his liver ; nor could he keep them from
him with his hands.

" Tantalus also I saw, that was in very
grievous plight ; for he stood in a pool, and
the water came near unto his chin ; but when
he would drink thereof, being sore athirst, he
could not. For so often as he stooped forward
to drink, so often the water was swallowed up
by the earth, and the ground was seen about
his feet. Trees also of fair fruitage hung over
his head, pears and pomegranates, and apples
very fair to behold, and sweet figs and olives ;
but so often as he reached his hand to lay hold
of them, so often the wind bore them away
even to the clouds.

" And Sisyphus I saw, and he also was in
sore distress. For with both his hands he
grasped a great stone, seeking to push it up

154 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

the side of a hill. With much toil of knees
and arms he pushed it, but so soon as it came
near to the top, then it brake from him and
leapt down very swiftly to the bottom of the

hill.

" Last of all, I saw the shadow of Hercules,
his shadow only, for the hero himself sat and
feasted with the gods above, having Hebe to
wife, the daughter of Zeus. And all about
him there was a great crying of the souls, as
is the crying of birds ; and he, with a coun-
tenance dark as night, stood with his bow
in his hand and an arrow ever on the string,
looking with a dreadful purpose in his eyes
like one about to shoot ; and about his breast
was a buckler of gold, and marvellous things
wrought thereupon, bears, and wild boars, and
lions with glaring eyes, battles also, and terri-
ble slaughters of men. And the shade of
Hercules spake to me, saying : ' Tell me, hast
thou also such an evil lot on earth as Zeus
gave to me. For he put me under the domin-
ion of a churl that ever set me hard labours to
perform. Yea, and he sent me hither to fetch

THE DWELLINGS OF THE DEAD. 155

hence the dog of hell, thinking that he could
give me no harder task than this. But I
brought him up from hell to the light of day,
for Hermes and Athene helped me on my
way.'

" So spake the shade of Hercules and de-
parted. Then I waited awhile, if haply I
might see the souls of other heroes that had
lived in old time ; but as I stood, lo ! there
came about me thousands and thousands of
the dead with a terrible cry, and I was sore
afraid. For I feared lest the great Queen
Persephone should send against me the terri-
ble head of the Gorgon. Therefore I departed
from his place, and bade my comrades embark
upon the ships and loose the ropes. And we
embarked and sat upon the benches ; and the
great stream of Ocean bare us onward, rowing
at the first, and afterwards hoisting the sails.

156 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

CHAPTER XIII.

THE SIRENS ; SCYLLA ; THE OXEN OF THE SUN.

(THE TALE OF ULYSSES.)

"It was now evening when we came back to
the island of Circe. Therefore we beached the
ship, and lay down by the sea, and slept till
the morning. And when it was morning we
arose, and went to the palace of Circe, and
fetched thence the body of our comrade Elpe-
nor. We raised the funeral pile where the
farthest headland runs out into the sea, and
burned the dead man and his arms ; then we
raised a mound over his bones, and put a pillar
on the top of the mound, and on the top of the
pillar his oar.

" But Circe knew of our coming, and of what
we had done, and she came and stood in our
midst, her handmaids coming with her, and
bearing flesh and bread and wine in plenty.
Then she spake, saying : ' Overbold are ye, who

o
z

THE SIRENS-, SCYLLA. 157

have gone down twice into the house of death
which most men see but once. Come now, eat
and drink this day ; to-morrow shall ye sail
again over the sea, and I will tell you the way,
and declare all that shall happen, that ye may
suffer no hindrance as ye go.'

" So all that day we eat and feasted. And
when the darkness came over the land, my
comrades lay them down by the ship and slept.
But Circe took me by the hand, and led me
apart from my company, and inquired of what
I had seen and done. And when I had told
her all my tale, she spake, saying, * Hearken
now to what I shall tell thee. First of all thou
shalt come to the Sirens, who bewitch all men
with their singing. For whoso cometh nigh
to them not knowing, and listeneth to their
song, he seeth not wife or children any more ;
for the Sirens enchant him, and draw him to
where they sit, with a great heap of dead men's
bones about them. Speed thy ship past them,
and first fill the ears of thy comrades with wax,
lest any should hear the song ; but if thou art
minded thyself to hear the song, let them bind

158 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

thee fast to the mast. So shalt thou hear the
song, and take no harm. And if thou shalt
entreat thy comrades to loose thee, they must
bind the bonds all the faster.

" ' When thou shalt have passed the island
of the Sirens, then thou must choose for thy-
self which path thou shalt take. On the one
side are the rocks that men call the Wan-
dering Rocks. By these not even winged
creatures can pass unharmed. Of the very
doves that carry ambrosia to Father Zeus the
rocks take every one, and the father sendeth
another to fill his place. No ship can pass
them by unhurt ; all round them do the waves
toss timbers of broken ships and bodies of
men that are drowned. One ship only hath
ever passed them by, even the ship Argo, and
even her \vould the waves have dashed upon
the rocks, but that Hera, for love of Jason,
caused her to pass by.

" ' These there are on the one side, and on
the other are two rocks. The first rock reach-
eth with a sharp peak to the heavens, and
about the peak is a dark cloud that passeth

THE SIRENS', SCYLLA. 159

not away from it, no, not in summer time or
harvest. This rock no man could climb, even
though he had twenty hands and feet, for it
is steep and smooth. In the midst of this cliff
i.s a cave wherein dwelleth Scylla, the dreadful
monster of the sea. Her voice is but as the
voice of a wrhelp newly born, and her twelve
feet are small and ill-grown, but she hath six
necks, exceeding long, and on each a head
dreadful to behold, and in each head three
rows of teeth, thick set and full of death. She
is hidden up to her middle in the cave, but she
putteth her heads out of it, fishing for dol-
phins, or sea-dogs, or other creatures of the
sea, for indeed there are countless flocks of
them. No ship can pass her by unharmed,
for with each head she carrieth off a man,
snatching them from the ship's deck. Hard
by, even a bow-shot off, is the other rock,
lower by far, and with a great fig tree growing
on the top. Beneath it Charybdis thrice a day
sucketh in the water, and thrice a day spouteth
it forth. If thou chance to be there when she
sucks it in, not even Poseidon's help could save

160 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

thee. See, therefore, that thou guide thy ship
near to Scylla rather than to the other, for it
is better for thee to lose six men out of thy
ship, than all thy company together.'

"So Circe spake, and I said: 'Tell me,
goddess, can I by any means escape from
Charybdis on the one hand, and, on the other,
avenge me on this monster, when she would
take my comrades for a prey ? '

" But the goddess said : ' Overbold thou art,
and thinkest ever of deeds of battle. Verily,
thou wouldest do battle with the gods them-
selves ; and surely Scylla is not of mortal race,
and against her there is no help. Thou wilt
do better to flee. For if thou tarry to put on
thy armour, then will she dart forth again, and
take as many as before. Drive on thy ship,
therefore, with what speed may be, and call
upon the mother that bare this Scylla to be a
bane to man, if haply she may keep her daugh-
ter from darting forth a second time.

" * After this, thou wilt come to the island of
the Three Capes, where are the herds and the
flocks of the Sun. Seven herds of kine there

THE SIRENS; SCYLLA. l6l

are and seven flocks of sheep, and fifty in each.
These neither are born, nor die, and they have
two goddesses to herd them. If ye do these
no hurt, then shall ye return, all of you, to
Ithaca, but if ye harm them, then shall thy
ship be broken, and all thy company shall
perish, and thou shalt return alone and after
long delay.'

" Having so spoken the goddess departed.
Then I roused my men and they launched the
ship, and smote the water with their oars, and
the goddess sending a favourable wind, we
hoisted the sails, and rested.

" But, as we went, I spake to my companions,
saying : ' Friends, it is not well that one or two
only should know the things that Circe prophe-
sied to me. Therefore I will declare them to
you, that we may know beforehand the things
that shall come to pass, and so either die or
live.'

" And first I told them of the Sirens ; and
while I spake we came to the Sirens' Island.
Then did the breeze cease, and there was a
windless calm. So my comrades took down

1 62 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

the sails and put out the oars, and I cleft a
great round of wax with my sword, and, melt-
ing it in the sun, I anointed therewith the
ears of my men ; afterwards they bound me by
hands and feet, as I stood upright by the mast.
And when we were so near the shore as that
the shout of a man could be heard therefrom,
the Sirens perceived the ship, and began their
song. And their song was this: —

" l Hither, Ulysses, great Achaian name,

Turn thy swift keel, and listen to our lay ;

Since never pilgrim near these regions came,

In black ship on the azure fields astray,

But heard our sweet voice ere he sailed away,

And in his joy passed on with ampler mind.

We know what labours were in ancient day

Wrought in wide Troia, as the gods assigned ;

We know from land to land all toils of all mankind?

" Then I prayed that they would loose me,
nodding my head with a frown, for their ears
were stopped ; but they plied their oars, and
Eurylochus and Perimedes put new bonds
upon me. And when we had passed by the
island, then they took the wax from their ears,
and loosed my bonds.

THE SIRENS] SCYLLA. 163

" After this they saw a smoke and surf, and
heard a mighty roar, and their oars dropped
out of their hands for fear; but I bade them
be of good heart, for that by my counsel they
had escaped other dangers in past time. And
the rowers I bade row as hard as they might.
But to the helmsman I said : ' Steer the ship
outside the smoke and the surf, and steer close
to the cliffs, lest the ship shoot off unawares
and destroy us.' But of Scylla I said nothing,
fearing lest they should lose heart, and cease
rowing altogether. Then I armed myself, and
stood in the prow waiting till Scylla should
appear.

" So we sailed up the strait ; and there was
sore trouble in my heart, for on the one side
was Scylla, and on the other Charybdis, suck-
ing down the water after a terrible sort. Now
would she vomit it forth, seething the while as
a great caldron seethes upon the fire, and the
spray fell on the very tops of the cliffs on either
side. And then again she gulped the water
down, so that we could see to her very depths,
even the white sand that was at the bottom of

164 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

the sea. Towards her we looked, fearing de-
struction, and while we looked, Scylla caught
out of my ship six of my companions, the
strongest and bravest of them all. When I
looked to my ships to find my crew, then I saw
their feet and hands, and I heard them call me
by the name, speaking to me for the last time.
Even as a fisher, standing on some headland,
lets down his long line with a bait, that he
may ensnare the fishes of the sea, and each, as
he catches it, he flings writhing ashore, so did
Scylla bear the men writhing up the cliff to
her cave. There did she devour them ; and
they cried to me terribly the while. Verily, of
all the things that I have seen upon the sea,
this was the most piteous of all.

" After this we came to the island of the
Three Capes ; and from my ship I heard the
lowing of the kine and the bleating of the
sheep. Thereupon I called to mind the saying
of Teiresias the seer, how he charged me to
shun the island of the Sun. So I spake to my
comrades, saying : * Hear now the counsels of
Teiresias the seer and Circe. Straitly did

THE SIRENS; SCYLLA. 165

they charge me to sail by the island of the
Sun ; for they said that there the most dread-
ful evil would overtake us. Do ye then row
the ship past.'

" So I spake ; but Eurylochus made answer
in wrath : ' Surely, Ulysses, thou knowest not
weariness, and art made of iron, thus forbid-
ding thy comrades, weary though they be with
toil and watching, to land upon this island,
where we might well refresh ourselves. Rash,
also, art thou in that thou commandest us to
sail all night; at night deadly winds spring up,
and how shall we escape, if some sudden storm
from the west or the south smite our ship, and
break it in pieces ? Rather let us stay, and
take our meal and sleep by the ship's side, and
to-morrow will we sail a^ain across the sea.'

" Thus he spake, and all consented to his
speech. Then I knew that the gods were
minded to work us mischief, and I made
answer: 'Ye constrain me, being many against
one. But swear ye all an oath, that if ye find
here either herd or flock, ye will not be tempted
by lawless appetite to slay either bullock or

1 66 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

sheep, but will rest content with the food that
Circe gave us.'

" Then they all made oath that they would
so do ; and wrhen they had sworn, they moored
the ship within a creek, where there was a
spring of fresh water; and so we took our
meal. But when we had enough of meat and
drink, we remembered our comrades whom
Scylla had snatched from the ship and de-
voured, and we mourned for them till slumber
fell upon us.

" The next morning I spake to my company,
saying : ' Friends, we have yet food, both bread
and wine. Stay, therefore, your hands from the
flocks and herds, lest some mischief take us,
for they are the flocks and herds of the Sun, a
mighty god whose eye none may escape.'

" With these words I persuaded them. For
a month the south wind blew without ceasing;
there was no other wind, unless it were haply
the east. So long, indeed, as the bread and
wine failed not the men, they harmed not the
herds, fearing to die. And afterwards, when
our stores were consumed, they wandered

THE SIRENS-, SCYLLA. 1 67

about the island, and searched for food, snar-
ing fishes and birds with hooks, for hunger

o o

pressed them sorely. But I roamed ever by
myself, praying to the gods that they would
send us deliverance. So it chanced one day
that slumber overcame me, — for this answer
only did the gods give me, — and I slept far
away from my companions.

" Meanwhile Eurylochus spake then to the
others, using fatal craft : ' Friends, listen to
one who suffers the like affliction with you.
Always is death a thing to be avoided ; but of
all deaths the most to be feared is the death by
hunger. Come, therefore, let us sacrifice to
the gods in heaven the best of the oxen of the
Sun. And we will vow to build to the Sun,
when we shall reach the land of Ithaca, a great
temple which we will adorn with gifts many
and precious. But if, indeed, he be minded to
sink our ship, being wroth for his oxen's sake,
verily, I would rather die, meeting the waves
with open mouth, than waste slowly to death
upon this island.'

" To this they all gave consent. Then

1 68 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

Eurylochus drave the fattest of the kine, — for
they ever grazed near the ship, — and the men
sacrificed it to the gods. But when they had
done according to custom, sprinkling green
leaves, for barley they had none, and pouring
out libations of water instead of wine, and
making prayers to the gods, and had burnt the
thigh-bones with the fat, and had tasted the
inner parts, then sleep forsook my eyes, and I
went my way to the shore. But ere I reached
the place of the ship, the savour of the flesh
greeted me. And when I perceived it, I cried
aloud, ' O Zeus, this is a deadly sleep where-
with ye lulled me to rest, for my comrades in
their folly have grievously offended the Sun.'

" And even while I spake one of the nymphs
that herded the kine flew to the Sun with tid-
ings of that which had been done. Then
spake the Sun among the other gods : ' Avenge
me now on the guilty comrades of Ulysses ; for
they have slain the herds which I delight to
see both when I mount the heavens and when
I descend therefrom. Verily, if they pay not
the due penalty for their wrong-doing, I will go

THE SIREN'S; SCYLLA. 169

down and give my light to the regions of the
dead.'

" Then Zeus made answer : ' Shine, thou
Sun, as aforetime, on the earth. Verily, my
bolt can easily reach the bark of these sinners,
and break it in the middle of the sea.'

" All these things I heard afterwards from
the nymph Calypso, and she had heard them
from Hermes, the messenger.

" With angry words did I rebuke my com-
rades, but found no remedy for their wrong-
doing, seeing that the kine were dead. Then

cV O

followed awful signs from heaven ; for the skins
of the kine crept, and the flesh bellowed upon
the spits, as if it had the voice of living creat-
ures. For six days my friends feasted on the
cattle of the Sun ; but when the seventh day
came, we launched our ship upon the sea, and
set sail.

" When we were now out of sight of the
island of the Three Capes, and no other land
appeared, Zeus hung a dark cloud over us, and
suddenly the west wind came fiercely down
upon the ship, and snapped the shrouds on

I/O THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

either side. Thereupon the mast fell back-
ward and brake the skull of a pilot, so that he
plunged, as a diver plunges, into the sea.
Meantime Zeus hurled his thunderbolt into
the ship, filling it with sulphur from end to
end. Then my comrades fell from the ship;
I saw them carried about it like to sea-gulls ;
so did the srods baulk them of their return.

But I still abode on the ship, till the sides were
parted from the keel ; then I bound myself with
a leathern thonsr to the mast and the keel — for

these were fastened together. On these I sat,
being driven by the \vind. All night long was
I driven ; and with the morning I came a^ain

O o

to Scylla and to Charybdis. It was the time
when she sucked in the waves ; but I, borne
upward by a wave, took fast hold of the branches
of the wild fig tree that grew upon the rock.
To this I clung for a long time, but knew not
how to climb higher up. So I watched till she
should vomit forth again the keel and the mast,
for these she had swallowed up. And when I
saw them again, then I plunged down from the
rock, and caught hold of them, and seated

THE SIRENS-, SCYLLA. I?I

myself on them ; I rowed hard with the palms
of my hands ; and the father of the gods suf-
fered not Scylla to espy me, else had I surely
perished. For nine days I floated, and on the
tenth the gods carried me to the island of
Calypso.

" But how I fared there ye know already, for
I have already told the tale to thee and to thy
wife. But yesterday I told it ; but to say again
that which has been once spoken is another
thing, and I like it not."

1 72 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

CHAPTER XIV.

ITHACA.

WHEN Ulysses had ended his tale there was
silence for a space throughout the hall. And
after awhile King Alcinolis spake, saying:
" Ulysses, now thou art come to my house,
thou shalt no longer be baulked of thy return.
And on you, chiefs of the Phaeacians, that
drink wine continually and listen to the sing-
ing of the minstrel within my hall, I lay
this command. Garments, and gold, skilfully
wrought, and such gifts besides as the princes
have given him, are already stored for this
stranger in a chest. Let us now, also, give
him each a great tripod and a caldron. We
will give them to him, and afterwards wre will
gather the price of them from among the
people ; for such a burden should not be laid
upon one man."

This saying pleased the princes, and they

ITHACA. 1/3

went each man to his house ; and the next
day they brought the gifts \ and the King
himself bestowed them under the benches, that
the rowers might not be hindered in their
rowing.

When these things were finished, the
princes betook them to the palace of the
King; and he sacrificed an ox to Zeus, and
they feasted, and the minstrel sang. But still
Ulysses would ever look to the sun, as if he
would have hastened his going down ; for
indeed he was very desirous to return ; as a
man desireth his supper, when he hath been
driving the plough all day through a fallow
field with a yoke of oxen before him, and is
right glad when the sun sinketh in the west,
so Ulysses was glad at the passing of the
daylight. And he spake, saying : —

" Pour out, now7, the drink-offering, my lord,
the King, and send me on my way. Now do
I bid you farewell, for ye have given me all
that my heart desired, to wit, noble gifts and
escort to my home. May the gods give me
with them good luck, and grant, also, that I

1/4 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

may find my wife and my friends in my home
unharmed ! And may ye abide here in joy
with your wives and children, and may ye have
all manner of good things and may no evil
come near you."

Then spake the King to his squire : " Mix,
now, the bowl, Pontonous, and serve out the
wine, that we may pray to Zeus, and send
the stranger on his way."

So Pontonous mixed the wine, and served
it out ; and they all made libation, and prayed.

Then Ulysses rose in his place, and placed
the cup in the hand of Arete, the Queen, and
spake : " Fare thee well, O Queen, till old age
and death, which no man may escape, shall
come upon thee ! I go to my home ; and do
thou rejoice in thy children and in thy people,
and in thy husband, the King."

When he had so said, he stepped over the
threshold. And Alcinolis sent with him a
squire to guide him to the ship, and Arete
sent maidens, bearing one a fresh robe and a
tunic, and another carrying the coffer, and yet
another with bread and wine. When they

ITHACA. 175

came to the ship, the rowers took the things,
and laid them in the hold. Also they spread for
Ulysses a rug and a linen sheet in the hinder
part of the ship, that his sleep might be sound.

When these things were ended Ulysses
climbed on board, and lay down ; and the men
sat upon the benches, and unbound the hawser.
And it came to pass that so soon as they
touched the water with the oars, a deep sleep
fell upon him. As four horses carry a chariot
quickly over the plain, so quick did the ship
pass over the waves. Not even a hawk, that
is the swiftest of all flying things, could have
kept pace with it.

And when the star that is the herald of the
morning came up in the heaven, then did the
ship approach the island. There is a certain
harbour in Ithaca, the harbour of Phorcys, the
sea-god, where two great cliffs on either side
break the force of the waves ; a ship that can
win her way into it can ride safely without
moorings. And at the head of this harbour
there is an olive tree, and a cave hard by that
is sacred to the nymphs. Two gates hath the

1 76 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

cave, one looking towards the north, by which
men may enter, and one towards the south,
which pertaineth only to the gods. To this
place the Phaeacians guided the ship, for they
knew it well. Half the length of the keel did

they run her ashore, so quickly did they row
her. Then they lifted Ulysses out of the stern
as he lay in the sheet and the rug which the
Queen had given him. And still he slept.
They took out also the gifts which the princes
of the Phaeacians had given him, and laid them
in a heap by the trunk of the olive tree, a little
way from the road, lest some passer-by should
come and spoil them while Ulysses slept.
After this they departed homeward.

But Poseidon still remembered his anger,
and said to Zeus, " Now shall I be held in dis-
honour among the gods, for mortal men, even
these Phaeacians, who are of my own kindred,
pay me no regard. I said that this Ulysses
should return in great affliction to his home ;
and now they have carried him safely across
the sea, with such a store of gifts as he never
would have won out of Troy, even had he

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ITHACA. 177

come back unharmed with all his share of the
spoil."

To him Zeus made answer: "What is that
thou sayest, lord of the sea? How can the
gods dishonour thee, who art the eldest among
them ? And if men withhold from thee the
worship that is due, thou canst punish them
after thy pleasure. Do, therefore, as thou
wilt. '

Then said Poseidon : " I had done so long
since, but that I feared thy wrath. But now I
will smite this ship of the Phasacians as she
cometh back from carrying this man to his
home. So shall they learn not to give hence-
forth safe carriage to men ; and their city will
I overshadow with a great mountain."

And Zeus made answer to him, u Do as
thou wilt."

Then Poseidon came down to the land of
the Phaeacians, and there he tarried till the
ship came near, speeding swiftly on her way.
Thereupon he struck her, changing her into a
stone, and rooting her to the bottom of the
sea.

THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

But the Phaeacians said one to another:
" Who is this that hath hindered our ship, as
she journeyed homeward ? Even now she was
plain to see."

But King Alcinoiis spake, saying : " Now
are the oracles fulfilled which my father was
wont to speak. For he said that Poseidon was
wroth with us because we carried men safely
across the sea, and that one day the god would
smite one of our ships, and change it into a
stone, and that he would overshadow also our
city with a great mountain. Now, therefore,
let us cease from conveying men to their
homes, and let us do sacrifice to Poseidon,
slaying twelve bulls, that he overshadow not
our city with a great mountain."

So the King spake, and the princes did as he
commanded them.

Meanwhile Ulysses awoke in the land of
Ithaca, and he knew not the place, for Athene
had spread a great mist about it, doing it, as
will be seen, with a good purpose, that he
might safely accomplish that which it was in
his heart to do. Then Ulysses started up, and

ITHACA. 1/9

made lament, saying: "Woe is me! To what
land am I come ? Are the men barbarous and
unjust, or are they hospitable and righteous ?
Whither shall I carry these riches of mine?
And whither shall I go myself? Surely the
Phaeacians have dealt unfairly with me, for
they promised that they would carry me back
to my own country, but now they have taken
me to a strange land. May Zeus, who is the
defender of the suppliant, punish them there-
for ! But let me first see to my goods, and
reckon them up, lest haply the men should
have taken somewhat of them."

Thereupon he numbered the tripods, and
the caldrons, and the raiment, and the gold,
and found that nothing Was wanting to the tale

o o

of the things. But not the less did he bewail
him for his country.

But as he walked, lamenting, by the shore,
Athene met him, having the semblance of a
young shepherd, fair to look upon, such as are
the sons of kings. Ulysses was glad when he
saw her, though he knew her not, and said :
" Friend, thou art the first man that I have

l8o THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

seen in this land. Now, therefore, I pray thee
to save my substance, and myself also. But
first, tell me true — what land is this to which
I am come, and what is the people ? Is it an
island, or a portion of the mainland ? '

And the false shepherd said : " Thou art
loolish, or, may be, hast come from very far, not
to know this country. Many men know it,
both in the east and in the west. Rocky it is,
not fit for horses, nor is it very broad ; but it
is fertile land, and good for wine ; nor does it
want for rain, and a good pasture it is for oxen
and goats ; and men call it Ithaca. Even in
Troy, which is very far, they say, from this land
of Greece, men have heard of Ithaca."

This Ulysses was right glad to hear. Yet
he was not minded to say who he was, but
rather to feign a tale.

So he said : " Yes, of a truth, I heard of this
Ithaca in Crete, from which I am newly come,
with all this wealth, leaving also as much
behind for my children. For I slew Orsilo-
chus, son of Idomeneus, the King, because he
would have taken from me my spoil. Where-

ITHACA. l8l

fore I slew him, lying in wait for him by the
way. Then made I covenant with certain
Phoenicians that they should take me to Pylos
or to Elis ; which thing, indeed, they were
minded to do, only the wind drave them hither,
and while I slept they put me upon the shore,
and my possessions with me, and departed to
Sidon."

This pleased Athene much, and she changed
her shape, becoming like to a woman, tall and
fair, and said to Ulysses : —

" Right cunning would he be who could
cheat thee. Even now in thy native country
ceasest thou not from cunning words and
deceits ! But let these things be ; for thou, I
trow, art the wisest of mortal men, and I excel
among the gods in counsel. For I am Athene,
daughter of Zeus, who am ever wont to stand
by thee and help thee. And now we will hide
these possessions of thine ; and thou must be
silent, nor tell to any one who thou art, and
endure many things, so that thou mayest come
to thine own ao;ain.'

To her Ulysses made answer : " Hardly

1 82 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

may a mortal man discern thee, O goddess,
however wise he may be, for thou takest many
shapes. While I was making war against
Troy with the other Greeks, thou wast ever
kindly to me. But from the time that we took
the city of Priam, and set sail for our homes,
I saw thee not, until thou didst meet me in
the land of the Phaeacians, comforting me, and
guiding me thyself into the city. And now I
beseech, by thy Father Zeus, to tell me truly :
is this Ithaca that I see, for it seems to me
that I have come to some other country, and
that thou dost mock me. Tell me, therefore,
wrh ether in very deed I am come to mine own
country."

Then Athene answered him : " Never will I
leave thee, for indeed thou art wise and pru-
dent above all others. For any other man, so
coming back after many wanderings, would
have hastened to see his wife and his children ;

but thou wiliest to make trial first of thy wife.

But as for this, that thou didst not ever see
me in thy wanderings, know that I was not
minded to be at enmity with Poseidon, my

ITHACA. 183

father's brother ; for he was angry with thee
because thou didst blind the Cyclops, his son.
But come now, I will show thee this land of
Ithaca, that thou mayest be assured in thy
heart. Lo ! here is the harbour of Phorcys ;
here at the harbour's head is the olive tree ;
here also is the pleasant cave that is sacred to
the nymphs, and there, behold, is the wooded
hill of Neriton."

Then the goddess scattered the mist, so
that he saw the land. Then, indeed, he knew
it for Ithaca, and he kneeled down and kissed
the ground, and prayed to the nymphs, saying:
" Never did I think to see you again ; but
now I greet you lovingly. Many gifts also
will I give you, if Athene be minded, of her
grace, to bring me to my own again."

Then said Athene : " Take heart, and be
not troubled. But first let us put away thy
goods safely in the secret place of the cave."

Then Ulysses brought up the brass, and the
gold, and the raiment that the Phaeacians had
given him, and they two stored it in the cave,
and Athene laid a great stone upon the mouth.

1 84 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

And Athene said : " Think, man of many
devices, how thou wilt lay hands on these men,
suitors of thy wife, who for three years have
sat in thy house devouring thy substance. And
she hath answered them craftily, making many
promises, but still waiting for thy coming."

Then Ulysses said : " Truly I had perished,
even as Agamemnon perished, but for thee.
But do thou help me, as of old in Troy, for
with thee at my side I would fight with three
hundred men."

Then said Athene : " Lo ! I will cause that

no man shall know thee, for I will wither the
fair flesh on thy limbs, and take the bright hair
from thy head, and make thine eyes dull. And
the suitors shall take no account of thee, neither
shall thy wife nor thy son know thee. But go
to the swineherd Eumasus, where he dwells by
the fountain of Arethusa, for he is faithful to
thee and to thy house. And I will hasten to
Sparta, to the house of Menelaiis, to fetch
Telemachus, for he went thither, seeking news
of thee."

But Ulysses said to the goddess : " Why

ITHACA. 185

didst thou not tell him, seeing that thou knewest
all ? Was it that he too might wander over the
seas in great affliction, and that others mean-
while might consume his goods ? '

o o

Then Athene made reply : " Trouble not
thyself concerning him. I guided him myself
that he might earn a good report, as a son
searching for his father. Now he sitteth in
peace in the hall of Menelaiis. And though
there are some that lie in wait for him to slay
him, yet shall they not have their will. Rather
shall they perish themselves and others with
them that have devoured thy goods."

Then she touched him with her rod. She
caused his skin to wither, and wasted the hair
upon his head, and made his skin as the skin
of an old man, and dimmed his eyes. His
garments she changed so that they became
torn and filthy and defiled with smoke. Over
all she cast the skin of a great sta^ from which

o o

the hair was worn. A staff also she gave him,
and a tattered wallet, and a rope wherewith to
fasten it.

1 86 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

CHAPTER XV.

EUMvEUS, THE SWINEHERD.

ATHENE departed to Lacedasma that she
might fetch Telemachus, and Ulysses went to
the house of Eumaeus, the swineherd. A great

courtyard there was, and twelve sties for the
sows, and four watch-dogs, fierce as wild beasts,
for such did the swineherd breed. In each sty
were penned fifty swine ; but the hogs were
fewer in number, for the suitors ever devoured
them at their feasts. There wrere but three
hundred and threescore in all. The swineherd
himself was shaping sandals, and of his men
three were with the swine in the fields, and
one was driving a fat beast to the city, to be
meat for the suitors. But when Ulysses came
near, the dogs ran upon him, and he dropped
his staff and sat down, and yet would have suf-
fered harm, even on his own threshold ; but
the swineherd ran forth and drave away writh

C/2

THE SWINEHERD. 187

stones, and spake unto his lord, though, in-
deed, he knew him not, saying : —

" Old man, the dogs came near to kill thee.
That would, indeed, have been a shame and a
grief to me ; and, verily, I have other griefs in
plenty. Here I sit and sorrow for my lord,
and rear the fat swine for others to devour,
while he, perchance, wanders hungry over the
deep, or in the land of strangers, if, indeed, Ire
lives. But come now, old man, to my house,
and tell me who thou art, and wrhat sorrows
thou hast thyself endured."

Then the swineherd led him to his dwelling,
and set him down on a seat of brushwood, with
the hide of a wild goat spread on it. The hide
was both large and soft, and he was wont him-
self to sleep on it.

Greatly did Ulysses rejoice at this welcome,
and he said, " Now may Zeus and the other
gods grant thee thy heart's desire, with such
kindness hast thou received me ! '

The swineherd made answer : " It were a
wicked tiling in me to slight a stranger, for the

o o o

stranger and the beggar are from Zeus. But

1 88 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

from us that are thralls and in fear of our
master, even a little gift is precious. And
the gods have stayed the return of my mas-
ter. Surely had he come back he would have
given me a house, and a portion of land, and a
fair wife withal ; for such things do lords give
to servants that serve them well, in whose hand
their substance increaseth, as verily, it hath in-
creased in mine. Well would my lord have
rewarded me, had he tarried at home. But he
hath perished as I would that all the race of
Helen might perish, so many valiant sons of
the Greeks hath she brought to death. For
he, too, went to Troy, that Agamemnon and
Menelalis, his brother, might work their ven-
geance on the Trojans."

Then he went away to the sties, and brought
from thence two young pigs, and singed them,
and cut them into pieces, and broiled them
upon spits. And when he had cooked
them, he set them before the beggar man.
He also mixed wine in a bowl of ivy-wood, and
sat down over against his oriest, and bade him

o o

eat, saying : " Eat now such food as I can give

EUM^EUS, THE SWINEHERD. 189

thee ; as for the fat hogs, them the suitors
devour. Truly these men have no pity, nor
fear of the gods. They must have heard that
my lord is dead, so wickedly do they behave
themselves, fearing no recompense for their
evil deeds. They do not woo as other suitors
woo, nor do they go back to their own houses,
but they sit at ease, and devour our wealth
without stint. Verily, every day and night,
they kill, not one victim or two, but many, and
the wine they waste right wantonly. Once my
lord had possessions beyond all counting ;
none in Ithaca nor on the mainland had so
much. Hear now the sum of them : On the
mainland twenty herds of kine, and flocks of
sheep as many, and droves of swine as many,
and as many herds of goats. Also here at this
island's end he had eleven flocks of goats.
Day by day do they take one of the goats for
the suitors, and I take for them the best of the
hogs."

So he spake, and Ulysses ate flesh and
drank wine the while ; but not a word did he
speak, for he was planning the suitors' death.

190 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

But at the last he spake : " My friend, who was
this, thy lord, of whom thou speakest ? Thou
sayest that he perished, seeking to get ven-
geance for King Menelalis. Tell me now, for
it may be that I have seen him, for I have
wandered far."

But Eumaeus said : " Nay, old man, thus do
all wayfarers talk, yet we hear no truth from
them. Not a vagabond fellow comes to this
island but our Queen must see him, and ask
him many things, weeping the while. And
thou, I doubt not, for a cloak or a tunic, would
tell a wondrous tale. But Ulysses, I know, is
dead, and either the fowls of the air devour
him, or the fishes of the sea."

But the false beggar said : " Hearken now, I
tell thee, and that not lightly, but confirming
my words with an oath, that Ulysses will re-
turn. And so soon as this shall come to pass
thou shalt let me have the reward of good
tidings. A mantle and a tunic shalt thou give
me. But before it shall happen, ! will take
nothing, though my need be sore ; I hate that
man who speaks guileful words under con-

EUM^EUS, THE SWINEHERD. IQI

strain! of poverty, even as I hate the gates of
death. Now Zeus be my witness, and this
hospitable hearth of Ulysses to which I am
come, that all these things shall come to pass
even as I have said. This year shall Ulysses
return ; yea, while the moon waneth he shall
come, and take vengeance on all who dishonour
his name."

But Eumseus made answer: " It is not I, old
man, that shall ever pay the reward of good
tidings. Truly, Ulysses will never more come
back to his home. But let us turn our thought
to other things. Bring thou not these to my
remembrance any more ; for, indeed, my heart
is filled with sorrow, if any man put me in
mind of my lord. As for thine oath, let it be.
Earnestly do I pray that Ulysses may indeed
return ; for this is my desire, and the desire of
his wife, and of the old man Laertes, and of
Telemachus. And now I am troubled concern-
ing Telemachus also. I thought that he would
be no worse a man than his father; but some one,
whether it were god or man I know not, reft
him of his wits, and he went to Pylos, seeking

192 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

news of his father. And now the suitors lie
in wait for him, desiring that the race of
Ulysses may perish utterly out of the land.
Yet of him also I will say no more, whether
he die or escape by help of Zeus. Come now,
old man, and tell me who art thou, and
whence ? On what ship did thou come, for that
by ship thou earnest to Ithaca I do not doubt."

Then Ulysses answered : " Had we food and
wine to last us for a year, and could sit quietly
here and talk, while others go to their work,
so long I should be in telling thee fully all my
troubles that I have endured upon the earth.
But my tale is this : —

" I am a Cretan, the son of one Castor, by a
slave woman. Now my father, while he lived,
did by me as by his other sons. But when he
died they divided his goods, and gave me but
a small portion, and took my dwelling from
me. Yet I won a rich wife for myself, for I
was brave and of good repute. No man would
sooner go to battle or to ambush than I, and
I loved ships and spears and arrows, which,
methinks, some men hate. Nine times did I

EUMsEUS, THE SWINEHERD. 193

lead my followers in ships against strangers,
and the tenth time I went with Kin^ Idome-

neus to Troy. And when the city of Priam
had perished, I went back to my native coun-
try, and there for the space of one month I
tarried with my wife, and afterwards I sailed
with nine ships to Egypt. On the fifth day
— for the gods gave us a prosperous voyage —
we came to the river of Egypt. There did my
comrades work much wrong to the people of
the land, spoiling their fields, and leading into
captivity their wives and children ; nor would
they hearken to me when I would have stayed
them. Then the Egyptians gathered an army,
and came upon them, and slew some and took
others. And I, throwing down helmet and
spear and shield, hasted to the King of the
land, where he sat in his chariot, and prayed
that he would have mercy on me, which thing
he did. And with him I dwrelt for seven years,
gathering much wealth. But in the eighth
year there came a trader of Phoenicia, who
beguiled me, that I went with him to his
country. And there I tarried for a year ; and

IQ4 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

afterwards he carried me in his ship to Libya,
meaning to sell me as a slave, but Zeus brake
the ship, so that I only was left alive. Nine
days did I float, keeping hold of the mast, and
on the tenth a wave cast me on the land of
Thresprotia, where King Pheidon kindly en-
treated me, giving me food and raiment.
There did I hear tell of Ulysses ; yea, and saw
the riches which he had gathered together,
which King Pheidon was keeping till he him-
self should come back from Dodona, from the
oracle of Zeus. Thence I sailed in a ship for
Dulichium, purposing to go to King Acastus,
but the sailors were minded to sell me for a
slave. Therefore they left me bound in the
ship, but themselves took their supper on the
shore. But in the meanwhile I brake my
bonds, the gods helping me, and leaping into
the sea, swam to the land, and hid myself in a
wood that was near."

Then said the swineherd : " Stranger, thou
hast stirred my heart with the tale of all that
thou hast suffered. But in this thing, I fear,
thou speakest not aright, saying that Ulysses

EUM^EUS, THE SWINEHERD. 195

will return. Well I know that he was hated of
the gods, in that they neither smote him when
he was warring against the men of Troy, nor
afterwards among his friends, when the war
was ended. Then would the host have builded
for him a great barrow; and he would have
won great renown for himself and for his chil-
dren. But now he hath perished ingloriously
by the storms of the sea. As for me, I dwell
apart with the swine, and go not into the city,
save when Penelope bids me come, because
there have been brought, no man knows
whence, some tidings of my master. Then
all the people sit about the bringer of news,
and question him, both those who desire their
lord's return, and those who delight in devour-
ing his substance without recompense. But I
care not to ask questions, since the time when
a certain yEtolian cheated me with his story.
He too had slain a man, and had wandered
over many lands, and when he came to my
house, I dealt kindly with him. This fellow
said that he had seen my lord with Idomeneus,
King of Crete, and that he was mending his

196 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

ships which the storm had broken. Also he
said that he would come home when it was
summer, or, haply, harvest time, and would
bring much wealth with him. But thou, old
man, seek not to gain my favour with lies, nor
to comfort me with idle words. Such things

will not incline me to thee, but only the fear
of Zeus, and pity for thee."

But Ulysses answered, " Verily, thou art
slow7 of heart to believe. Even with an oath
have I not persuaded thee. But come, let us
make an agreement together, and the gods
shall be our witnesses. If thy lord shall re-
turn, then shalt thou give me a mantle and a
tunic, and send me on my way, whither I desire
to go. But if he come not back according to
my word, then let thy men throw me down
from a great rock, that others may fear to
deceive."

Then the swineherd said : " Much credit,
truly, should I gain among men, if, having
entertained thee in my house, I should turn
and slay thee ; and with a good heart, here-
after, should I pray to Zeus. But it is time

EUMAEUS, THE SWINEHERD.

for supper, and I would that my men were
returned that we might make ready a meal."

While he spake, the swine and the swine-
herds drew near; and Eumaeus called to his
fellows, saying: " Bring the best of the swine,
for I would entertain a guest who comes from
far. Verily, we endure much toil for these
beasts, while others devour them, and make no
return."

So they brought a hog of five years old ; and
the swineherd kindled a fire, and when he had
cast bristles from the hog into the fire, to do
honour to the gods, he slew the beast, and made
ready the flesh. Seven portions he made ; one
he set apart for the nymphs and for Hermes,
and of the rest he gave one to each. But
Ulysses had the chief portion, even the chine.

Then was Ulysses glad, and spake, saying,
" Eumaeus, mayest thou be as dear to Zeus,
even as thou hast dealt kindly with me."

And Eumaeus answered : " Eat, stranger,
and make merry with what thou hast. The
gods give some things, and some things they
withhold."

198 THE STORY OF 7'HE ODYSSEY.

Now the night was cold, and it rained with-
out ceasing, for the west wind, that ever
bringeth rain, was blowing ; and Ulysses was
minded to try the swineherd, whether he
would give him his own mantle, or bid another
do so. Therefore, when they were about to
sleep, he said : —

" Listen to me ; for wine, that ever driveth
the wits out of a man, bids me speak. O that
I was young, and my strength unbroken, as in
the days when we fought before the city of Troy.

" Once upon a time we laid an ambush near
to the city of Troy. And Menelaiis and
Ulysses and I were the leaders of it. In the
reeds we sat, and the night was cold, and
the snow lay upon our shields. Now all the
others had cloaks, but I had left mine behind
at the ships. So, when the night was three
parts spent, I spake to Ulysses, ' Here am I
without a cloak ; soon, methinks, shall I perish
with the cold.' Soon did he bethink him of a
remedy, for he was ever ready with counsel.
Therefore he said : ' Hush, lest some one hear
thee ; ' and to the others, ' I have been warned

EUM^US, THE SWINEHERD. 1 99

in a dream. We are very far from the ships,
and in peril. Wherefore, let some one run to
the ships, to King Agamemnon, that he send
more men to help.' Then Thoas, son of
Andraemon, rose up and ran, casting off his
cloak ; and this I took, and slept warmly
therein. Were I this night such as then I
was, I should not lack such kindness even now."

Then said Eumaeus : " This is well spoken,
old man. Thou shalt have a cloak to cover
thee. But in the morning thou must put on
thy own rags again. Yet, perchance, when
the son of Ulysses shall come, he will give
thee new garments."

Thereupon he arose, and set a bed for
Ulysses, making it with sheepskins and goat-
skins, near to the fire ; and when Ulysses lay
down, he cast a thick cloak over him, that he
had in store, if any great storm should arise.
But he himself slept beside the boars, to guard
them; and Ulysses was glad to see that he
was very careful for his master's substance,
even though he was so long time away.

200 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

CHAPTER XVI.

THE RETURN OF TELEMACHUS.

Now all this time Telemachus tarried in
Sparta with King Menelaiis, and the son of
Nestor was with him. To him, therefore,
Athene went. Nestor's son she found over-
come with slumber, but Telemachus could not
sleep for thoughts of his father. Athene stood
near him, and spake, saying : —

" It is not well, Telemachus, that thou
shouldest tarry longer away from thy home, for
there are some who spoil and devour thy sub-
stance. Come, therefore, rouse thy host Mene-
laiis, and pray him that he send thee on thy
way, if haply thou mayest yet find thy mother
in her home. For her father and her brethren
are instant with her that she should take Eu-
rymachus for her husband, seeing that he hath
far surpassed all the other suitors in his gifts.
Take heed, therefore, lest she take some treas-

THE RETURN OF TELEMACHUS. 2OI

ure from thy house, for the heart of a woman
is ever set on increasing the wealth of him who

shall take her to wife, but of her children, and
of him that was her husband before, she taketh
no thought. Go, then, and put thy substance
into the hands of some woman in thy house-
hold whom thou judges! to be most trusty,
until the gods find thee a wife. Hearken also

to another matter. The bravest of the suitors
lie in wait for thee in the strait that is between
Ithaca and Samos, desirous to slay thee before
thou shalt come again to thy home. Keep thy
ship, therefore, far from the place, and sail both
by night and by day, and- one of the gods shall
send thee a fair breeze. Also, when thou com-
est to the land of Ithaca, send thy ship and
thy company to the city, but seek thyself the
swineherd Eumaeus, for he hath been ever true
to thee. Rest there the night, and bid him go
to the city on the day following, and carry tid-
ings to thy mother of thy safe return."

Then Telemachus woke the son of Nestor,
touching him with his heel, and saying :
" Awake, son of Nestor, bring up thy horses,

202 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

and yoke them to the chariot, that we may go
upon our way."

But Peisistratus made answer : " We may
not drive through the darkness, how ea^er

o o

soever we be to depart. Soon will it be dawn.
Tarry thou till Menelatis shall bring his gifts
and set them on the car, and send thee on thy
way, for a guest should take thought of the
host that showeth him kindness."

And when the morning was come, and
Menelatis was risen from his bed, Telemachus
spake to him, saying, " Menelaus, send me
now with all speed to my own country, for I
am greatly desirous to go there."

To him Menelaus made answer : " I will not
keep thee long, seeing that thou desirest to
return ; it were shame in a host to be over
gracious or lacking in grace. To be moderate
is better, neither speeding him that would fain
stay nor keeping him that would fain depart.
But stay till I bring my gifts and set them in
the chariot. Let me also bid the women pre-
pare the meal in my hall, for it is both honour
to me and a profit to you that ye should eat

THE RETURN OF TELEMACHUS. 203

well before ye set forth on a far journey. But
if thou wilt go further through the land, even
to Hellas and Argos, then let me go with thee ;
to many cities will we go, and none will send
us empty away."

But Telemachus said : " Not so, Menelaus ;
rather would I go back straightway to mine
own land, for I left none to watch over my
goods. It were ill done were I to perish seek-
ing my father, or to lose some precious posses-
sion out of my house."

Then Menelaus bade his wife and the maids
prepare the meal, and his squire he bade kindle
a fire and roast flesh ; and he himself went to
his treasury, and Helen and Megapenthes with
him. He himself took therefrom a double cup,
and bade Megapenthes bear a mixing-bowl of
silver ; as for Helen, she took from her coffers
a robe that she had wrought with her own

hands. The fairest it was of all, and shone as
shines a star, and it lay beneath all the rest.
Then said Menelaus : " Take this mixing-

£5

bowl ; it is wrought of silver, but the lips are
finished with gold ; Hephaestus wrought it

204 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

with his own hands, and the King of the
Sidonians gave it me. This cup also I give
thee."

And beautiful Helen came, holding the robe
in her hands, and spake, saying: " Take, dear
child, this memorial of Helen's handiwork;
keep it against thy marriage day, for thy
bride to wear. Meanwhile, let thy mother
have charge of it. And now mayest thou
return with joy to thy native country and thy
home ! "

Then they sat down to eat and drink ; and
when they had finished, then did Telemachus
and Nestor's son yoke the horses and climb
into the chariot.

But Menelaiis came forth brinmnor wine in a

o o

cup of gold, that they might pour out an offer-
ing to the gods before they departed. And he
stood before the horses, and spake, saying : —

" Farewell, gallant youths, and salute Nestor
for me ; verily, he was as a father to me, when
we were waging war against Troy."

To him Telemachus made answer : " That
will we do ; and may the gocls grant that I

THE RETURN OF TELEMACHUS. 205

find my father at home and tell him what
grace I have found in thy sight ! '

But even as he spake there flew forth at his
right hand an eagle, carrying a goose in his
claws, that he had snatched from the yard, and
men and women followed it with loud shout-
ing. Across the horses it flew, still going to the
right ; and they were glad when they saw it.

Then said Nestor's son: " Think, Menelaus!
Did Zeus send this sign to us or thee? '

But while Menelaus pondered the matter,
Helen spake, saying: " Hear me when I say
what the gods have put in my heart. Even as
this eagle came down from the hill where he
was bred, and snatched away the goose from
the house, so shall Ulysses come back to his
home after many wanderings, and take ven-
geance; yea, even now he is there, devising evil
for the suitors."

And Telemachus cried aloud, " May Zeus
so ordain it ! '

Then they departed and sped across the
plain. That night they tarried at Pherae ; but
when they came the next day to Pylos, Telem-

206 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

achus said to Peisistratus : " Son of Nestor,
wilt thou be as a friend to me, and do my bid-
ding ? Leave me at my ship ; take me not
past, lest the old man, thy father, keep me out
of his kindness against my will, for, indeed, I
am desirous to go home."

And Nestor's son did so. He turned his
horses towards the shore and the ship. And
coming there, he took out the gifts, and laid
them in the hinder part of the ship. This
done, he called Telemachus and said : " Climb
now into thy ship, and depart, ere I can reach
my home. Well I know that my father will
come down, and bid thee return with him to his
house ; nor, indeed, if he find thee here, will he
go back without thee, so wilful is he of heart."

And Telemachus bade his companions climb
on to the ship ; and they did so.

But while he was making ready, and pray-
ing, and making a burnt offering to Athene,
came one who had slain a man, and was flee-
ing from Argos. A soothsayer he was, Theo-
clymenus by name, and he was of the lineage
of Melampus. (This Melampus stole the oxen

THE RETURN OF TELEMACHUS. 207

of Phylaeus that he might win the daughter of
Neleus for his brother.)

This man stood by the ship, and said, " Tell
me truly who thou art, and from what city
thou comest."

Telemachus made answer: " Stranger, I will

tell thee all. I am of Ithaca, and my father is
Ulysses. I have gone forth with my ship, that
I may hear tidings of him."

Then said the soothsayer: "I have fled from
my country, because I slew one of my own
kindred. Take me, therefore, on board thy
ship, for the avengers, even now, are following
hard after me."

To him Telemachus made reply: "If thou
desirest to come, I will not drive thee away.
Come with us to Ithaca, and I will give thee
of such things as I have."

So they departed ; and Athene sent a wind
that blew from behind, and they sped on their
way.

Meanwhile Ulysses sat with the swineherd
and his men, and supped. And Ulysses, will-
ing to try the man's temper, said : " In the

208 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

morning I would fain go to the city, for I
would not be burdensome to thee. Let me
rather go to the city if, perchance, some one
there may give me a cup of water and a morsel
of bread. Verily, to the house of Ulysses
would I go, if haply the suitors might give
me a meal. Well could I serve them. No
man can light a fire, or cleave wood, or carve
flesh, or pour out wine, better than I."

" Nay," said the swineherd, " thou hadst best
not go among the suitors, so proud and law-
less are they. They that serve them are not
such as thou. They are young, and fair, and
gaily clad, and their heads are anointed with oil.
Abide rather here; thou art not burdensome to
us ; and when the son of Ulysses shall come, he
will give thee, may be, a mantle and a tunic."

Ulysses answered : " Now may Zeus bless
thee for thy kindness in that thou makest me
cease from my wanderings. Surely, nothing
is more grievous to a man than to wander ; but
hunger compels him. Tell me now about the
mother of Ulysses and about his father. Are
they yet alive ? '

THE RETURN OF TELEMACHUS. 209

Then said the swineherd : " I will tell thee
all. Laertes, the father of Ulysses, yet lives;
yet doth he daily pray to die, such sorrow hath
he for his son, who is far away from his home,
and for his wife, that is dead. Verily, it was
her death that brought him to old age before

o o

his time. And it was of grief for her son that
she died. Much kindness did I receive at her
hands, while she yet lived ; but now I lack it.
As for my lady Penelope, a great trouble hath
fallen upon her house, even a plague of evil-
minded men."

Then said Ulysses to Eumaeus : " Tell me
now how it came to pass that thou didst wan-
der far from thy parents when thou wast yet a
little child. Did enemies sack the town in
which thy father dwelt, or did men find thee
by thyself, tending a flock or a herd, and sell
thee across the sea ? '

Then the swineherd told this tale : —

" There is a certain island called Syria. Not

many men dwell there ; but it is a fertile land,

with many flocks, and plenty of corn and wine.

Never doth famine come there, nor wasting

210 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

disease, but when the men grow old Apollo slay-
eth them with his painless shafts, and the women
Artemis. There are two cities in the island,
and my father reigned over both.

" Now there was in my father's house a cer-
tain Phoenician woman. Tall she was, and
fair, and skilful in handiwork. And there
came to the island certain Phoenicians in a
ship, with merchandise of women's ornaments
and the like. These men beguiled the woman
that was in my father's house. One of them
asked her who she was and whence she came,
and she said to him: ' I come from Sidon, and
my father's name is Arybas. But the sea-
robbers, the Taphians, stole me away, as I
came home from the fields, and carried me
across the sea, and sold me to my master for
a goodly price.' Then the man said : ' Wilt
thou return with us, and see again thy home,
and thy father and thy mother, for they yet
live, and are reputed to be wealthy ? ' The
woman answered : ' That I would gladly do,
if ye will swear to me to bring me back to
my home.' Then they sware to her as she

THE RETURN OF TELEMACHUS. 211

desired. Thereupon the woman said: 'Hold
now your peace, and let none speak to me,
or greet me, if ye chance to meet me in the
city or at the well, lest haply some one tell
the matter to my master. Then would he put
me in bonds and would slay you. But when
your ship is fully freighted, then send a mes-
sage to me in my master's house. Then will
I come with all the treasure on which I can
lay my hands. And there is another thing
which also I would gladly pay for my passage.
I am nurse to my master's son, a little boy that
runs abroad with me. Him will I bring on
board your ship, and ye can sell him for a
great price.'

" For a whole year did these strangers abide
in the land, gathering much wealth. And at
the end of the year, they sent a message to the
Phoenician woman. In this wise they sent it.
There came one of them to my father's house,
having with him a chain of gold strung with
balls of amber. And while my mother and the
maidens in the hall were handling the chain
and bargaining for it, he nodded silently to the

212 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

woman, and after awhile departed. Then the
woman took me by the hand, and led me forth.
And as she went she found three goblets,
where the guests of my father had been feast-
ing. These she took up, and hid in her bosom,
and I followed her, knowing nothing. So we
went down to the ship, and it was now night.
Then did the Phoenicians take us on board,
and set sail, and Zeus sent a favourable wind.
For six days they sailed, and on the seventh
Artemis slew the woman with her shafts, and
she fell into the hold. The men cast her forth
to be the prey of the fishes, but I was left in
sadness. Then the wind carried them to Ithaca.
There Laertes bought me. So came I hither."

Then said Ulysses : " The gods have given
thee good as well as evil, for they have brought
thee to the house of a kindly man."

After this the two lay down and slept.

ULYSSES AND TELEMACHUS. 21$

CHAPTER XVII.

ULYSSES AND TELEMACHUS.

TELEMACHUS in his ship came safe to the
island of Ithaca, at the place that was nearest
to the swineherd's house. There they beached
the ship, and made it fast with anchors at the
fore part and hawsers at the stern, and they
landed, and made ready a meal.

When they had now had enough of meat
and drink, Telemachus said : " Take now the
ship to the city. I will come thither in the
evening, having first seen my farm ; and then
I will pay you your wages."

Then said Theoclymenus : " Whither shall
I go, my son ? To the house of any other man
in Ithaca, or to the house of thy mother ? '

Telemachus made answer : " At other times
I would bid thee go to our own house, for there
is no lack of entertainment in it ; but now thou
wouldest fare but ill, for I shall not be there,

214 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

and my mother will see no one, but sits apart
in her chamber, and weaves at her web. Go,
therefore, to the house of Eurymachus. He is
the best of all the suitors, and most honoured of
the people. But what his end and the end of
his fellows will be, I know not."

Even as he spake a bird flew upon his
right ; a hawk it was, holding a dove in her
talons. The hawk plucked the dove of its
feathers, and shed them down to the ground
between Theoclymenus and the ship.

Then the seer called Telemachus aside, and
said to him : " This flying of the bird was of

J O

the gods' doing. There is no more kingly
house than yours in Ithaca ; right soon shall
ye have the mastery."

Then Telemachus spake to Peiraeus, whom
he trusted more than any of his companions
besides, saying, " Take this stranger home
with thee, and treat him well till I come."

Peiraeus answered, " Though thou tarry a
long while, Telemachus, yet shall he not lack
good cheer."

After this the ship went on to the city, and

ULYSSES AND TELEMACHUS. 21$

Telemachus went up to the herdsman's house.

Now the herdsman and Ulysses had kindled
a fire, and were making ready breakfast.

And Ulysses heard the steps of a man, and,
as the dogs barked not, said to Eumasus,
" Lo ! there comes some comrade or friend, for
the dog^s bark not."

And as he spake, Telemachus stood in the
doorway; and the swineherd let fall from his
hand the bowl in which he was mixing wine,
and ran to him and kissed his head and his
eyes and his hands. As a father kisses his
only son, coming back to him from a far coun-
try after ten years, so did the swineherd kiss
Telemachus. And when Telemachus came
in, the false beggar, though indeed he was his
father, rose, and would have given place to
him ; but Telemachus suffered him not. And
when they had eaten and drunk, Telemachus
asked of the swineherd who this stranger
might be.

Then the swineherd told him as he had
heard, and afterwards said, " I hand him to
thee : he is thy suppliant ; do as thou wilt."

2l6 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

But Telemachus answered: " Nay, Eumaeus.
For am I master in my house ? Do not the
suitors devour it ? And does not "my mother
doubt whether she will abide with me, remem-
bering the great Ulysses, who was her hus-
band, or will follow some one of those who are
suitors to her ? I will give this stranger, in-
deed, food and clothing and a sword, and will
send him whithersoever he will, but I would
not that he should go among the suitors, so
haughty are they and violent."

Then said Ulysses : " But why dost thou
bear with these men ? Do the people hate
thee, that thou canst not avenge thyself on
them? and hast thou not kinsmen to help
thee ? As for me, I would rather die than
see such shameful things done in house of

mine.'

And Telemachus answered : " My people
hate me not ; but as for kinsmen, I have none,
for Acrisius had but one son, Laertes, and
he again but one, Ulysses, and Ulysses had
none other but me. Therefore do these
men spoil my substance without let, and, it

(7LYSSES AND TELEMACHUS. 21 7

may be, will take my life also. These things,
however, the gods will order. But do thou,
Eumaeus, go to Penelope, and tell her that
I am returned ; but let no man know thereof,
for there are that counsel evil against me ;
but I will stay here meanwhile."

So Eumaeus departed. But when he had
gone, Athene came, like a woman tall and fair;
but Telemachus saw her not, for it is not given
to all to see the immortal gods ; but Ulysses
saw her, and the dogs saw her, and whimpered
for fear. She signed to Ulysses, and he went
forth, and she said : —

" Hide not the matter from thy son, but plan
with him how ye may slay the suitors, and lo !
I am with you."

Then she touched him with her golden
wand. First she put about him a fresh robe
of linen and new tunic. Also she made him
larger and fairer to behold. More dark did he
grow, and his cheeks were rounded again, and
the beard spread out black upon his chin.

Having so done, she passed away. But
when Ulysses went into the hut, his son looked

218 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

at him, greatly marvelling. Indeed, he feared
that it might be some god.

" Stranger," he said, " surely thou art not
what thou wast but a moment since ; other
garments hast thou, and the colour of thy skin
is changed. Verily, thou must be some god
from heaven. Stay awhile, that we may offer to
thee sacrifice, so shalt thou have mercy on us ! '

Ulysses made answer, " I am no god ; I am
thy father, for whom thou hast sought with
much trouble of heart."

So saying he kissed his son, and let fall a
tear, but before he had kept in his tears con-
tinually.

But Telemachus, doubting yet whether this
could indeed be his father, made reply : " Thou
canst not be my father; some god beguileth
me that I may have sorrow upon sorrow. No
mortal man could contrive this of his own wit,
making himself now young, now old, at his
pleasure. A moment since thou wast old, and
clad in vile garments; now thou art as one of
the gods in heaven."

But Ulysses answered him, saying : " Telem-

ULYSSES AND TELEMACHUS. 219

achus, it is not fitting for thee to marvel so
much at thy father's coming home. It is
indeed my very self who am come, having suf-
fered many things and wandered over many
lands, now at last in the twentieth year. And
this at which thou wonderest is Athene's work;
she it is that maketh me now like to an old
man and a beggar and now to a young man
clad in rich raiment."

So speaking, he sat him down again, and
Telemachus threw himself upon his father's
neck, mourning and shedding tears. So they
two lamented together, even as eagles of the sea
or vultures whose young ones have been taken
from the nest before they are fledged. So had
they gone on till set of sun, but Telemachus
said to his father, " Tell me how thou earnest
back, my father ? '

So Ulysses told him, saying: "The Phasa-
cians brought me back from their country
while I slept. Many gifts did they send with
me. These have I hidden in a cave. And to
this place have I come by the counsel of
Athene, that we may plan together for the

220 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

slaying of the suitors. But come, tell me the
number of the suitors, how many they are and
what manner of men. Shall we twain be able
to make war upon them or must we get the
help of others ? '

Then said Telemachus : " Thou art, I know,
a great warrior, my father, and a wise, but this
thing we cannot do ; for these men are not ten,
no, nor twice ten, but from Dulichium come
fifty and two, and from Samos four and twenty,
and from Zacynthus twenty, and from Ithaca
twelve ; and they have Medon, die herald, and
a minstrel also, and attendants."

Then said Ulysses : " Go thou home in the
morning and mingle with the suitors, and I
will come as an old beggar ; and if they entreat
me shamefully, endure to see it, yea, if they
drag me to the door. Only, if thou wilt, speak
to them prudent words ; but they will not heed
thee, for indeed their doom is near. Heed this
also : when I give thee the token, take all the
arms from the dwelling and hide them in thy
chamber. And when they shall ask thee why
thou doest thus, say that thou takest them out

ULYSSES AND TELEMACHUS. 221

of the smoke, for that they are not such as
Ulysses left behind him when he went to Troy,
but that the smoke has soiled them. Say,
also, that haply they might stir up strife sitting
at their cups, and that it is not well that arms
should be at hand, for that the very steel draws
on a man to fight. But keep two swords and
two spears and two shields — these shall be
for thee and me. Only let no one know of my
coming back — not Laertes, nor the swineherd,
no, nor Penelope herself."

Meanwhile the ship of Telemachus came to
the city. The gifts the men carried to the
house of Clytius ; but a herald went to the
palace with tidings for Penelope, lest she
should be troubled for her son. So these two,
the herald and the swineherd, came together,
having the same errand. The herald spake out
among the handmaids, saying : " O Queen, thy
son is returned from Pylos ! ' But the swine-
herd went up to Penelope by herself, and told
her all that Telemachus had bidden him to
say. When he had so done, he turned about,
and \vent home to his house and to the swine.

222 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

But the suitors were troubled in heart ; and
Eurymachus said : " This is a bold thing that
Telemachus hath done. He hath accom-
plished his journey, which we said he never
would accomplish. Let us, therefore, get
rowers together, and send a ship, that we may
bid our friends come back with all the speed
they may."

But even while he spake, Amphinomus
turned him about, and saw the ship in the
harbour, and the men lowering the sails.
Then he laughed and said : " No need is there
to send a message, for the men themselves
have come. Maybe some god hath told them;
maybe they saw the ship of Telemachus go
by, and could not overtake it."

Then all the suitors went together to the
place of assembly, and Antinoiis stood up
and spake : " See how the gods have delivered
this man ! All day long our scouts sat and
watched upon the headlands, one man taking
another's place ; and at sunset we rested not
on the shore, but sailed on the sea, waiting for
the morning. Yet some god hath brought

ULYSSES AND TELEMACHUS. 223

him home. Nevertheless we will bring him to
an evil end, for so long as he liveth we shall
not accomplish our end. Let us make haste
before he assemble the people and tell them
how we plotted against him. Then will they
hate us, and we shall be driven forth from the
land. Let us slay him, therefore, either in the
field or by the way ; and let us divide his pos-
sessions, but his house will we give to his
mother and to him who shall marry her. But
if ye would rather that he should live, then let
us sit here no more, eating his substance, but
let us go each to his own home, and woo the
Queen from thence with bridal gifts, till one
shall persuade her."

Then spake Amphinomus, — not one of the
suitors was of a more understanding heart
than he, — " Friends, I would not that Telem-
achus should be slain ; it is a fearful thing
to slay the son of a king. First, let us ask
counsel of the gods. If the oracles of Zeus
approve, then will I slay him with mine own
hand ; but if they forbid, then I wrould have
you refrain."

224 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

Thereupon they departed from the place of
assembly, and went to the house of Ulysses.

Now Penelope had heard from Medon, the
herald, how the suitors had plotted to slay her
son ; therefore went to the hall with her
maidens with her, and stood in the door, hold-
ing her veil before her face, and spake, say-

ing:

" Antinoiis, men say that thou art the best in
counsel and speech of all the princes of Ithaca.
Not such, in truth, do I find thee. Dost thou
plot against the life of my son, having no regard
for the gods, nor any memory of good deeds ?
Dost thou not remember how thy father fled
to this house, fearing the anger of the people ?
He had gone with the Taphians, the sea-
robbers, and had harried a people that was
at peace with us. Therefore the people de-
sired to slay him and to spoil his goods, but
Ulysses withstood them. Yet it is this man's
house that thou dost waste, and his son that
thou wouldest slay."

But Eurymachus made answer : " Take
courage, wise Penelope, and let not thy heart

ULYSSES AND TELEMACHUS. 22$

be troubled. The man is not, nor shall be
born, who shall raise a hand against Telem-

achus, so long as I live upon the earth.
Right soon would his blood gush out about
my spear ; many a time hath Ulysses set me
upon his knees, and given me roasted flesh,
and held the wine-cup to my lips. Therefore
Telemachus is the dearest of men to me. Fear
not death for him from the suitors ; but the
will of the gods none may avoid."

So he spake, as if he would comfort her ; but
all the while he plotted the death of her son.

After this she went to her chamber, and
wept for her lord till Athene dropped sweet
sleep upon her eyes.

Meanwhile the swineherd went back to his
home. But before he came Athene changed
Ulysses again into the likeness of a beggar
man, lest he should know him and tell the
matter to Penelope.

Telemachus spake to him, saying : " What
news is there in the city ? Are the suitors
come back from their ambush, or do they still
watch for my ship ? '

226 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

Eumasus ansv/ered : " I did not think to go
about the city asking questions ; but what I
know that will I tell thee. Know that the
messenger from thy company joined himselt
to me, and, indeed, was the first to tell the
news to the Queen. This also I know, that
I saw a ship entering the harbour, and that
there were many men in her, and spears, and
shields. These, haply, were the suitors, but I
know not of a certainty."

Then Telemachus looked to his father, but
the swineherd's eye he shunned.

ULYSSES IN HIS HOME. 227

CHAPTER XVIII.

ULYSSES IN HIS HOME.

WHEN the morning came, Telemachus said
to the swineherd: " I go to the city, for my
mother will not be satisfied till she see my
very face. And do thou lead this stranger to
the city, that he may there beg his bread from
any that may have the mind to give."

Thereupon Ulysses spake, saying, " I too, my
friend, like not to be left here. It is better for
a man to beg his bread in the town than in the
fields. Go thou, and I will follow, so soon as the
sun shall wax hot, for my garments are exceed-
ing poor, and I fear lest the cold overcome me."

So Telemachus went his way, devising evil
against the suitors all the while. And when
he came to the house his nurse Eurycleia saw
him first, and kissed him. Penelope also came
down from her chamber, and cast her arms
about him, and kissed him on the face, and on

228 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

both the eyes, and spake, saying: "Thou art
come, Telemachus, light of mine eyes ! I
thought not ever to see thee again. But tell

o o

me, what news didst thou get of thy father ? '

Telemachus made answer: " I cannot now
speak of these things. Get thee to thy cham-
ber, and vow a sacrifice to all the gods, if haply
they will grant us vengeance for our wrongs.
But I must go to the market-place, that I may
bid a stranger to my house, whom I brought
from Pylos, bidding Peiraeus keep him till I
should come."

Then Penelope did as he had bidden her.
But Telemachus went to the place of assembly,
and Athene put such grace upon him that all
men marvelled to see him. The suitors he
shunned, but he sat down where Mentor and
other friends of his house were gathered
together.

Then came Peiraeus, leading the stranger,
and he spake, saying, " Bid the women go
straightway to my house, that they may fetch
the gifts which Menelaus gave thee."

But Telemachus made reply, " Not so ; we

ULYSSES IN HIS HOME. 2 29

know not yet what may be the issue. If the
suitors spoil my goods, then I would that thou
rather than they should have these gifts. But
if they perish, then shalt thou bring them to
my house."

Then he led the stranger to his house, and
commanded that they should set meat and
drink before him.

When they had ended their meal, Penelope
said to him, " Verily, I will go to my chamber;
but tell me first, hadst thou any tidings of thy
father ? "

Then Telemachus rehearsed to her all that
Nestor and Menelaus had told him. When he
had ended, Theoclymenus, the seer, spake thus :
" Hear now, wife of Ulysses; of a truth, — Zeus
be my witness, and this hospitable board of
Ulysses and this hearth, — Ulysses is even now
in his own land, devising death against the
suitors. This I know, for the omens that I
saw were very clear."

Then Penelope made answer : " The gods
grant that it be so, stranger ! So shalt thou
not lack many noble gifts."

230 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

Meanwhile the suitors were disporting them-
selves, casting of weights and aiming with
spears in a level place. And when it was
the time for supper, Medon, the herald, said,
" Come now, let us sup ; meat in season is a
good thing."

So they made ready a feast.

Now in the meanwhile Eumaeus and the false
beggar were coming to the city. And when
they were now near to it, by the fountain which
Ithacus and his brethren had made, where was
also an altar of the nymphs, Melanthius, the
goatherd, met them, and spake evil to Eumaeus,
rebuking him that he brought this beggar to
the city. And he came near and smote Ulysses
with his foot on the thigh, but moved him not
from the path. And Ulysses thought awhile,
should he smite him with his club and slay him,
or dash him on the ground. But it seemed to

him better to endure.

But Eumaeus lifted up his hands and said :
" Oh, now may the nymphs of the fountain
fulfil this hope, that Ulysses may come back
to his home, and tear from thee this finery of

•

•
.

•

. ^^^^

: -

- '

•

•j-.

ULYSSES IN HIS HOME. 231

thine, wherein thou comest to the city, leaving
thy flock for evil shepherds to devour ! :

So they went on to the palace. And at the
door of the court there lay the dog Argus, whom
in the old days Ulysses had reared with his own
hand. But ere the dog grew to his full, Ulysses
had sailed to Troy. And while he was strong,
men used him in the chase, hunting wild goats
and roe-deer and hares. But now he lay on a
dunghill, and the lice swarmed upon him.
Well he knew his master, and, for that he
could not come near to him, wagged his tail
and drooped his ears.

And Ulysses, when he saw him, wiped away
a tear, and said, " Surely this is strange,
Eumasus, that such a dog, being of so fine a
breed, should lie here upon a dunghill."

And Eumaeus made reply: "He belongeth
to a master who died far away. For, indeed,
when Ulysses had him of old, he was the
strongest and swiftest of dogs ; but now my
clear lord has perished far away, and the care-
less women tend him not. For when the
master is away the slaves are careless of their

232 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

duty. Surely a man, when he is made a slave,
loses half the virtue of a man."

And as he spake the dog Argus died.
Twenty years had he waited, and saw his
master at the last.

After this the two entered the hall. And
Telemachus, when he saw them, took from the
basket bread and meat, as much as his hands
could hold, and bade carry them to the beggar,
and also to tell him that he mi^ht go round

o o

among the suitors, asking alms. So he went,
stretching out his hand, as though he were
wont to beg ; and some gave, having compas-
sion upon him and marvelling at him, and
some asked who he was. But of all, Antinoiis
was the most shameless. For when Ulysses
came to him and told him how he had had
much riches and power in former days, and
how he had gone to Egypt, and had been sold
a slave into Cyprus, Antinoiis mocked him,
saying : —

" Get thee from my table, or thou shalt find
a worse Egypt and a harder Cyprus than be-
fore."

ULYSSES IN HIS HOME. 233

Then Ulysses said, "Surely thy soul is evil
though thy body is fair ; for though thou sittest
at another man's feast, yet wilt thou give me
nothing."

Then Antinous caught up the footstool
that was under his feet, and smote Ulysses
therewith. But he stood firm as a rock ; and
in his heart he thought on revenge. So he
went and sat down at the door. And being
there, he said : —

" Hear me, suitors of the Queen ! There is
no wrath if a man be smitten fighting for that
which is his own, but Antinous has smitten
me because that I am poor. May the curse of
the hungry light on him therefor, ere he come
to his marriage day!'

Then spake Antinous, " Sit thou still,
stranger, and eat thy bread in silence, lest the
young men drag thee from the house, or strip
thy flesh from off thy bcnes."

So he spake in his insolence ; but the others
blamed him, saying: "Antinous, thou didst ill
to smite the wanderer; there is a doom on
such deeds, if there be any god in heaven.

234 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

Verily, the gods oft times put on the shape of
men, and go through cities, spying out
whether there is righteous dealing or unright-
eous amons: them.'

But Anti-nous heeded not. As for Telema-
chus, he nursed a great sorrow in his heart to
see his father so smitten ; yet he shed not a
tear, but sat in silence, meditating evil against
the suitors.

When Penelope also heard how the stranger
had been smitten in the hall, she spake to her
maidens, saying, " So may Apollo, the archer,
smite Antinous ! '

Then Eurynome, that kept house, made
answer : " O that our prayers might be ful-
filled ! Surely not one of these evil men
should see another day."

To her replied Penelope : " Yea, nurse, all
are enemies, but Antinous is the worst. Verily,
he is as hateful as death."

Then Penelope called to the swineherd and
said : " Go now, and bring this stranger to me ;
I would greet him, and inquire of him whether
he has heard tidings of Ulysses, or, it may be,

ULYSSES IN HIS HOME. 2$$

seen him with his eyes, for he seems to have
wandered far."

Eumaeus made answer: "Truly this man
will charm thy heart, O Queen ! Three days
did I keep him in my dwelling, and he never
ceased from telling of his sorrows. As a

sinsrer of beautiful sono;s charmeth men, so did

o o

he charm me. He saith that he is a Cretan,
and that he hath heard of Ulysses, that he is
yet alive, and that he is bringing much wealth
to his home."

Then said Penelope : " Go, call the man,
that I may speak with him. O that Ulysses
would indeed return ! Soon he and his son
avenge them of these men, for all the wrong
that they have done ! '

And as she spake, Telemachus sneezed, and
all the house rans: with the noise. And

Penelope said again to Eumaeus : " Call now
this stranger; didst thou not mark how my
son sneezed a blessing when I spake ? Verily,
this vengeance shall be wrought, nor shall
one escape from it. And as for this stran-
ger, if I shall perceive that he hath spoken

236 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

truth, I will give him a new mantle and
tunic."

So the swineherd spake to the stranger, say-
ing : " Penelope would speak with thee, and
would inquire concerning her husband. And
if she find that thou hast spoken truth, she
will give thee a mantle and a tunic, and thou
shalt have freedom to beg throughout the
land."

But the false beggar said : " Gladly would I
tell to Penelope the story of her husband, for
I know him well. But I fear these suitors.
Even now, when this man struck me, and for
naught, none hindered the blow, no, not Te-
lemachus himself. Go, therefore, and bid the
Queen wait till the setting of the sun."

So the swineherd \vent, and as he crossed
the threshold Penelope said : " Thou bringest
him not ! What meaneth the wanderer ? A
beggar that is shamefaced knoweth his trade
but ill."

But the swineherd answered : " He doeth
well, O lady, in that he fearest the wrong-
doing of these insolent men. He would have

ULYSSES IiV HIS HO. VIE. 237

thee wait till the setting of the sun, and indeed
it is better for thee to have speech with him
alone."

Then said Penelope : " It is well ; the
stranger is a man of understanding. Veriiy,
these men are insolent above all others."

Then the swineherd went into the throng of
the suitors, and spake to Telemachus, holding
his head close that none should hear : " I go
to see after matters at the farm. Take thou
heed of what befalleth here. Many of the
people have ill-will against us. May Zeus
confound them ! '

Telemachus made answer, " Go, father, as
thou sayest ; and come again in the morning,
brinonn£ beasts for sacrifice.'

o o

So the swineherd departed ; and the suitors
made merry in the hall with dancing and sing-
ing, for the sun was near to the setting.

238 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

CHAPTER XIX.

ULYSSES IN HIS HOME (continued}.

AFTER awhile there came a bes^ar from the

city, huge of bulk, mighty to eat and drink,
but his strength was not according to his size.

o o

Arnaeus was his name, but the young men
called him Irus, because he was their messen-
ger, after Iris, the messenger of Zeus. He
spake to Ulysses : —

" Give place, old man, lest I drag thee forth ;
the young men even now would have it so, but
I think it shame to strike such an one as thee."

Then said Ulysses, " There is room for thee
and for me; get \vhat thou canst, for I do not
grudge thee aught, but beware lest thou anger
me, lest I harm thee, old though I am."

But Irus would not hear words of peace, but
still challenged him to fight.

And when Antinoiis saw this he was glad,
and said : u This is the goodliest sport that I

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— -

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Cd

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ULYSSES IN HIS HOME. 239

have seen in this house. These two beggars
would fio:ht ; let us haste and match them."

And the saying pleased them ; and Antinoiis
spake again : " Hear me, ye suitors of the
Queen ! We have put aside these paunches of
the goats for our supper. Let us agree, then,
that whosoever of these two shall prevail, shall
have choice of these, that which pleaseth him
best, and shall hereafter eat with us, and that
no one else shall sit in his place."

Then said Ulysses : " It is hard for an old
man to fight with a young. Yet will I do it.
Only do ye swear to me that no one shall
strike me a foul blow while I fight with this

man.'

Then Telemachus said that this should be
so, and they all consented to his words. And
after this Ulysses girded himself for the fight.
And all that were there saw his thighs, how
great and strong they were, and his shoulders,
how broad, and his arms, how mighty. And
they said one to another, " There will be little
of Irus left, so stalwart seems this beggar man."
But as for Irus himself, he would have slunk

240 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

out of sight, but they that were set to gird him
compelled him to come forth.

Then said Antinoiis : " How is this, thou
braggart, that thou fearest this old man, all
woe-begone as he is ? Hearken thou to this.
If this man prevails against thee, thou shalt be
cast into a ship and taken to the land of King
Echetus, who will cut off thy ears and thy nose
for his dogs to eat.

So the two came together. And Ulysses
thought whether he should strike the fellow
and slay him out of hand, or fell him to the
ground. And this last seemed the better of
the two. So when Irus had dealt him his
blow, he smote him on the jaw, and brake in
the bone, so that he fell howling on the
ground, and the blood poured amain from his
mouth.

Then all the suitors laughed aloud. But

Ulysses dragged the fellow out of the hall, and
propped him by the wall of the courtyard, put-
ting a staff in his hand, and saying, "Sit there,
and keep dogs and swine from the door, but
dare not hereafter to lord it over men, no,

ULYSSES IN HIS HOME. 241

not even over strangers and beggars, lest some
worse thino- befall thee."

Then Antinoiis gave Ulysses a great paunch,
and Amphinomus gave two loaves, and pledged
him in a cup, saying, " Good luck to thee,
father, hereafter, though now thou seemest to
have evil fortune ! '

And Ulysses made reply: " O Amphinomus,
thou hast much wisdom, methinks, and thy
father, I know, is wise ! Take heed, therefore.
There is naught feebler upon earth than man.
For in the days of his prosperity he thinketh
nothing of trouble; but when the srods send

o o

evil to him, there is no help in him. I also
trusted once in myself and my kinsmen, and
now — behold me what I am ! Let no man,
therefore, do violence and wrong, for Zeus
shall requite such deeds at the last. And
now these suitors of the Queen are working
evil to him who is absent. Yet will he return
some day and slay his enemies. Fly thou,
therefore, while yet there is time, nor meet him
when he comes."

So he spake, with kindly thought.

242 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

But the other went through the house, sad
at heart, for he boded evil. But his doom
was before him, that he should die.

After this Athene put it into the heart of
Penelope to show herself to the suitors, that
their hearts might be lifted up within them to
their ruin, and she might have more honour
from her husband and her son. Then Penel-
ope spake to the nurse, saying : " I have a
desire, now for the first time, to show myself
to the suitors, though indeed they be hateful
to me. Also I would say a word to my son,
that he consort not too much with these inso-
lent men, lest they do him some hurt."

The nurse answered : " It is well, lady ; go,
speak to thy son ; but first wash and anoint thy
face. Let not thy cheeks be stained with tears ;
for it is not good to sorrow without ceasing."

But Penelope said : " Speak no comfortable
v\rords to me; bid me not wash and anoint my
face ; my bloom hath perished from the day
that my husband departed. But bid two of
the maidens come with me, for I am ashamed
to go alone among men."

ULYSSES IN HIS HOME. 243

Then the old woman went to hasten the
coming of the maidens. But Athene had

other thoughts in her mind. She caused
sweet sleep to come upon the Queen, and while
she slept, the goddess gave her immortal gifts.
Her face she steeped in beauty, such as Aph-
rodite hath when she 2foeth to the dances of

the Graces. Also she made her taller and
greater to see, and brighter than ivory newly
wrought. Having done this she departed, and
the maidens drew nisrh.

Then sleep left Penelope, and she said,
" Would that Artemis would give a death
painless as this slumber, that I might no
more waste my life mourning for my lord
that is gone ! '

Then she came and stood in the door of the
hall, with a handmaid on either side. So fair
she was to see that the hearts of all the suitors
were filled with love, and each of them prayed
that he might have her to wife.

But Penelope spake to Telemachus, saying :
" My son, thou art not as prudent as of old.
When thou wast a child thou hadst a ready

244 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

wit; but now, though thou hast come to man-
hood, and art such for stature and beauty as a
king's son should be, thy thoughts go astray.
What a deed hath even now been wrought in
thy house, when this stranger was mis-handled!
It were a shame to thee forever if he came to
harm through such misdeeds."

To her Telemachus made answer : " I blame
not thy anger, my mother. Nevertheless, I can-
not order all things well, for evil men constrain
me. But this battle between Irus and the
stranger did not end as the suitors would have

had it, for the stranger vanquished him. Would
that all the suitors were now even as he is, for
he sits wagging his head by the gates, and
cannot stand upon his feet, nor get him to his
own home, so has the stranger loosened his
limbs ! "

But Eurymachus said to Penelope: "Verily,
daughter of Icarus, if all the Greeks could see
thee, a greater crowd of suitors would feast in
thy halls to-morrow, so fair art thou, and tall,
and wise also of mind, surpassing all other
women ! "

t/LYSSES IN HIS HOME. 245

Then Penelope answered : " My beauty
perished in the day when my lord Ulysses de-
parted for Troy. If only he would return, then
would it be well with me ! I remember how,
when he departed, he took me by the hand and
said : ' O lady, not all the Greeks, methinks,
will come back safe from Troy, for the men of
Troy, they say, are mighty with the spear and
with the bow, and skilful to drive chariots.
Therefore I know not whether I shall come
back safe, or shall perish there before the city.
Do thou, therefore, care for my father and my
mother, while I am absent, as now thou carest,
yea, and even more. And when thy son shall
grow to be a bearded man, then marry whom
thou wilt.' So my husband spake. And now
these things have come to pass ; for a day must
be when I shall be constrained to another
marriage, unhappy that I am. And I have also
this grief : my suitors are not such as suitors
are wont to be. For the custom with those
who would woo a lady, the daughter of a rich
man, is to bring sheep and oxen of their own,
and to prepare a banquet for the friends of the

246 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

bride, but not to devour the substance of an-
other and make no payment for it."

So she spake, and Ulysses was glad to see
how she beguiled the suitors, and drew gifts
from them, having other thoughts in her heart.

Then Antinoiis made answer : " Take thou
the gifts that we bring thee, Penelope, for it is
not well to refuse a gift ; but know that we will
not depart from thy halls, till thou hast chosen
the best of us for thy husband."

So he spake, and the rest agreed to his
words. Each man sent his squire to fetch his
gift. The gift of Antinoiis was a broidered
robe, very fair and broad, with twelve brooches
of gold and twelve clasps. The gift of Eu-
rymachus was a chain of curious work, writh
beads of amber. Eurydamus gave earrings
with three drops, and Peisander a very precious
jewel. All the suitors gave a gift.

Then the Queen went to her chamber, and
the suitors delighted themselves with music
and dancing ; and Ulysses stood by the
braziers, tending them, and watched the men.

Then Eurymachus began to speak among

ULYSSES IN HIS HOME. 247

his friends: "Hear me, suitors of the Queen!
Surely the gods have sent this man to us.
How marvellously does the light of the torches
flash from his bald head, whereon there is
never a hair ! '

Thereupon he turned him to Ulysses, and
said : " Stranger, wilt thou serve me for hire at

my farm among the hills ? Thy wages shall
be sure, and thou shalt labour, gathering stones
for the building of walls, and planting trees.
Bread will I give thee, and raiment, and shoes
for thy feet. But thou art not minded, me-
thinks, to labour in the field ; thou likest better
to be a vagabond, and to fill thy belly without
working."

But Ulysses made reply: " Eurymachus, I
would that there might be a trial between us,
mowing grass, each with a scythe in his hand,
when the days grow long in the spring time !
Then might we two try one another, working
till the evening is late, and fasting the while.
Or would that we were driving each a yoke of
two stout oxen, well fed and strong, in a field of
four acres ! Verily, thou shouldest see whether

248 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

or no I could drive a clean furrow before me.
Or would that Zeus would stir up war! Thou
shouldest see me in the forefront of the battle,
nor wouldest thou taunt me again with my
appetite. Thou thinkest over much of thyself,
but if Ulysses would return yonder door would
not be wide enough for thee and thy fellows to
flee."

Thereat Eurymachus waxed very wroth.
" Old man," he said, " I will do thee a mis-
chief, for that thou speakest such idle words.
Is it that the wine hast stolen thy wits, or dost
thou always prate thus idly, or art thou beside
thyself for joy because thou hast vanquished
Irus ? "

So speaking he caught a footstool, and
Ulysses sat down in fear by the knees of
Amphinomus, for he feared the prince. And
Eurymachus smote the cupbearer on the right
hand as he ladled out the wine, and the young
man fell backward groaning. Then said one
of the suitors to his fellow : " Would that
this stranger had perished before he came
hither ! See what tumult he has wrought.

ULYSSES IN HIS HOME. 249

Now we shall have no more pleasure in the
feast."

But Telemachus said : " Plain is it, sirs, that
ye have eaten and drunken. And now that ye
have had enough, go home and rest."

So he spake, and they marvelled at his bold-
ness.

Then said Amphinomus : " The prince hath
spoken well. Let us make libation to the
gods, and so depart."

And they did so.

250 THE. STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

CHAPTER XX.

ULYSSES IS DISCOVERED BY HIS NURSE.

ULYSSES spake to Telemachus, saying :
" Come now, let us hide away the arms that are
in the hall. And if any of the suitors ask con-
cerning them, thou shalt say, ' I have put them
away out of the smoke, for they are not such
as they were when Ulysses departed, for the
breath of fire hath marred them. And for this
cause also have I put them away, lest ye should
quarrel and wound one another when ye are
heated with wine ; for the sight of iron tempt-
eth a man to strike.' So shalt thou speak to
the suitors."

Then said Telemachus to Eurycleia, the
nurse, " Shut up the women in their chambers,
till I have put away in the armoury the weapons
of my father, for the smoke in the hall hath
made them dim."

The nurse made answer: " I wish, my child,

ULYSSES /S DISCOVERED BY HIS NURSE. 2$l

that thou wouldest ever have such care for thy
father's possessions ! But say, who shall bear
the light, if thou wilt not have any of the
women to go before thee ? '

Then said Telemachus, " This stranger shall
do it, for I will not have any man eat my bread
in idleness."

So the nurse shut up the women in their
chambers, and Ulysses and his son set them-
selves to carry the arms, to wit, the shields and
the helmets and the spears, from the hall into
the armoury. And Athene went ever before
them, holding a lamp of gold, that shed a
very fair light. Thereupon said Telemachus,
" Surely, my father, this is a great wonder that
I behold! See the walls, and the beams, and
the pillars are bright as it were with flames of
fire. This must be the doing of a god."

But Ulysses made answer : " Hold thy peace ;
keep the matter in thine heart, and inquire not
concerning it. And now lie down and sleep,
for I would talk with thy mother."

So Telemachus went to his chamber, and
slept, and Ulysses was left alone in the hall,

252 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

devising in his heart how he might slay the
suitors.

And now Penelope came down, and sat by
the fire, on a chair cunningly wrought of silver
and ivory, with a footstool that was part of the
chair. And soon the maidens came in, and
took away the fragments of food that were left,
and the cups from which the suitors drank,
and piled fresh logs on the fire.

Then Penelope called to the nurse, saying,
" Nurse, bring me now a settle with a fleece
upon it, that the stranger may sit and tell me
his story."

So the nurse brought the settle and the

fleece, and Ulysses sat him down ; and Penel-
ope spake, saying : " Stranger, I wrill ask thee
first who art thou ? Whence didst thou come ?
What is thy city and thy father's name ? '

Ulysses made answer : " Lady, no man could
find any fault in thee. Thy fame is as the
fame of a king who fears the gods, and reigns
over a valiant people, and his land beareth
increase of wheat and barley, and the trees are
full of fruit, and the sheep bring forth and fail

ULYSSES IS DISCOVERED BY HIS NURSE. 253

not, and in the sea are many fish, and all things
prosper with him. Ask me now other things
as thou wilt ; but ask me not of my name, or
my race, or my native country, lest I weep as I
think thereon, for I am a man of many sorrows ;
and it is not fitting to mourn and weep in the
house of another. Haply, too, the maidens may
see me, and be wroth with me, and say that I
am melted in tears, even as a man that is
drunken with wine."

To him Penelope made reply : " Stranger,
the gods took away from me all comeliness of
face and form on the day when Ulysses, my
husband, went with the Greeks to Troy. And
now I am sore beset with troubles. For the
princes of the islands round about, yea and of
Ithaca itself, woo me against my will, and
devour my house. Vainly have I sought to
escape their wooing. For Athene put this into
my heart that I should say to them : ' Noble
youths that would wed me, now that Ulysses is
dead, abide patiently, though ye be eager to
hasten the marriage, till I shall have finished
this robe, to wit, a winding-sheet for Laertes ;

254 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

for it were a shame, if he, having had great

o o

wealth, should lie in his orrave without a wind-

ing-sheet.' So I spake, and they gave consent.
Three years did I deceive them, weaving the
web by day, and by night unravelling it ; but
in the fourth year my handmaids betrayed me.
And now I have no escape from marriage, for
my parents are instant with me, and my son is
vexed because these men devour his substance,
and he is now of an age to manage his own
house. But come, tell me of what race thou
art ; thou art not born of an oak tree or a rock,
as the old fables have it."

Then said Ulysses : " If thou wilt still ask
me of my race, then will I tell thee ; but thou
wilt so bring sorrow upon me beyond that to
which I am bound ; for it is grief to a man who
hath wandered far and suffered much to speak
of the matter. There is in the midst of the sea
a land that men call Crete. A fair land it is
and fertile, and there are many inhabitants
therein, and cities fourscore and ten. In one
of these cities, even Cnossus, reigned Minos
the King. Nine years old was he when he

ULYSSES IS DISCOVERED BY HIS NURSE. 255

began to reign. And Minos begat Deucalion,
and Deucalion had two sons, to wit, Idomeneus
and me ; he was the elder of the two, and by
far the better. My name is Aethon. Thither
came Ulysses, when he was sailing to Troy, for
the wind had carried him out of his course.
And he came up to the city asking for Idome-
neus, for he said that he was his friend ; but it
was the tenth day or the eleventh since Idome-
neus had sailed for Troy. Then I gave enter-
tainment to him and his company, barley meal,
and wine, and oxen for sacrifice. Twelve days
did they abide with me, for so long the north
wind blew continually, but on the thirteenth
day it abated, and they weighed anchor."

So Ulysses told his tale. False it was, but
it seemed to be true. And Penelope wept to
hear it. As the snow melts upon the hills when
the southeast wind bloweth, and the streams
run full, so did Penelope weep for her lord.
And Ulysses had compassion on his wife,
when he saw her weep ; but his own eyes he
kept as if they had been horn or iron.

But Penelope said : " Friend, suffer me to

256 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

make trial of thee, whether this was indeed my
husband Ulysses. Tell me now with what
raiment he was clothed, and what manner of
man he wras, and what his company."

Then Ulysses made answer : " I remember
me that he had a mantle, twofold, woollen, of
sea-purple, clasped with a brooch of gold,
whereon was a dog that held a fawn by the
throat ; marvellously wrought was the dog and
the fawn, so hard held the one, so strove the
other to be free. Also he had a tunic, wrhite
and smooth, even as the skin of an onion when
it is dry, which the women much admired to
see. But whether some one had given him
these things I know not, for, indeed, many gave
him gifts, and I also, even a sword and a tunic,
Also he had a herald with him, one Eurybates,
older than he, dark-skinned, round in the
shoulders, with curly hair."

When Penelope heard this she wept yet
more, for she knew by these tokens that this
man was indeed her lord. " This is true," she
said, " O stranger, for I myself gave him these
garments, and I folded them myself, and I also

ULYSSES IS DISCOVERED BY HIS NURSE. 257

gave him the jewel. And now, alas ! I shall
see him no more."

But Ulysses made answer : " Nay, wife of
Ulysses, say not so. Cease from thy mourn-
ing, for Ulysses is yet alive. Near at hand
is he, in the land of the Thesprotians, and is
bringing many gifts with him. So Pheidon,
the King of the land, told me, and showed me
the gifts which he had gathered ; many they
were and great, and will enrich his house to
the tenth generation. But Ulysses himself,
when I was there, had gone to Dodona, to
inquire of Zeus — for there is the oracle of the
god in the midst of an oak tree — whether he
shall return to his home openly or by stealth.
Be sure, O lady, that in this tenth year Ulysses
shall come, even wrhen the old moon waneth
and the new is born."

Then said Penelope : " May thy words
be accomplished, O stranger ! Verily, thou
3houldest have much kindness at my hands and
many gifts. Yet I have a boding in my heart
that it shall not be. But now the handmaids
shall spread a bed for thee with mattress and

258 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

blankets that thou mayest sleep warm till
morning shall come. And they shall wash thy
feet."

But Ulysses spake, saying : " Mattress and
blankets have been hateful to me since I left
the land of Crete. I will lie as I have been
wont to lie for many nights, sleepless and wait-
ing for the day. And I have no delight in the
bath ; nor shall any of these maidens touch my
feet. Yet if there be some old woman, faithful
of heart, her I would suffer to touch my feet."

Then said Penelope : " Such an one there is,
even the woman who nursed my lord, and
cherished him, and carried him in her arms,
from the time when his mother bare him. She
is now weak with age, but she will wash thy
feet."

And she spake to the nurse, saying, " Up,
now, and wash this man, who is of like age
with thy master."

Then the old woman covered her face with
her hands and wept, saying : " Willingly will I
wash thy feet both for Penelope's sake and
thine own. Many strangers, worn with travel,

ULYSSES 75 DISCOVERED BY HIS NURSE. 259

have come hither, but never saw I one that
was so like to Ulysses in voice and in feet."

And Ulysses made answer, " Even so have
I heard before ; men said ever that we were
most like one to the other."

But when she had made ready the bath, then
Ulysses sat aloof from the hearth, and turned
his face to the darkness, for he feared in his
heart lest, when the old woman should handle
his leg, she might know a great scar that was
thereon.

Now the scar happened in this wise.

Ulysses went to Parnassus to see Autolycus,
that was his mother's father, a man who was
skilful, above all others, in thieving and in the
making of oaths. This gift Hermes had him-
self given him. Now Autolycus had once
upon a time gone to Ithaca, and found there
his daughter's son newly born. And after
supper, the nurse, even Eurycleia, had laid the
babe upon his knees, saying, "Autolycus, give
thyself a name to this child ; for he is the child
of many prayers." Then Autolycus spake,
saying : " My daughter, and my daughter's

260 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

husband, give this child the name that I shall
say. I came to this land, having great anger
against many men. Let, therefore, his name
be Ulysses, ' the man of wrath.' And when
he is come to man's estate let him come to me,
and I will give him such a gift as shall rejoice
his heart." Thus did it come to pass that
Ulysses went to see Autolycus ; and his grand-
father and his grandmother and their sons
greeted him well, and made a feast for him.
The next morning they all went to the chase,
and Ulysses went' with them. Up the hill of
Parnassus did they climb ; and it was the time
of sunrise. The beaters came to a Q-lade of the

woodland, and the dogs went before, tracking
a scent, and after them came the sons of
Autolycus, and with them Ulysses. There in
a very thick lair lay a great wild boar. So
thick was it that neither the sun nor rain could
pierce it, and there was a great store of fallen
leaves in the place. And when the boar was
roused by the trampling of men's feet, and by

* Odusseus in the Greek form, as if from " odussesthai "= " to be

angry."

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ULYSSES IS DISCOVERED BY HIS NURSE. 261

the dogs, he sprang from his lair, and his hair
bristled upon his back, and his eyes shone, as
he stood at bay. Then Ulysses rushed in, first
of all the company, holding his spear aloft with
his hand, beinff earner to smite the beast. But

o o

the boar was too quick for him, for it charged,
and wounded him above the knee, and made a
great rent in the flesh, striking him sideways
with his tusks; nevertheless, it reached not to
the bone. But Ulysses aimed at him right
well, and smote him in the right shoulder,
piercing him through, so that he fell dead on
the ground. Then the sons of Autolycus
bound up the wound, staying the blood with a
song of healing; and they returned to the
house of their father. There they kept him
till he was healed of his wound ; and after-
wards they sent him to his home with many
noble gifts. But the scar of the wound was left.

By this scar, then, the old nurse knew that
it was Ulysses himself, and said, " O Ulysses,
O my child, to think that I knew thee not ! '

And she looked towards the Queen, as mean-
ing to tell the thing to her. But Ulysses laid

262 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

his hand on her throat: " Mother, wouldest thou
kill me ? I am returned after twenty years,
and none must know till I shall be ready to
take vengeance."

And the old woman held her peace. And
after this Penelope talked with him again, tell-
ing him her dreams, how she had seen a flock
of geese in her palace, and how that an eagle
had slain them, and when she mourned for the
geese, lo ! a voice that said, " These geese are
thy suitors, and the eagle thy husband."

And Ulysses said that the dream was well.
And then she said that on the morrow she
must make her choice, for that she had prom-
ised to bring forth the great bow that was

£> C5

Ulysses's, and whosoever should draw it most;
easily, and shoot an arrow best at a mark, he
should be her husband.

And Ulysses made answer to her : " It is
well, lady. Put not off this trial of the bow,
for before one of them shall draw the string,
the great Ulysses shall come and duly shoot at
the mark that shall be set."

After this Penelope slept.

THE TRIAL OF THE BOW. 263

CHAPTER XXI.

THE TRIAL OF THE BOW.

ULYSSES laid him down to sleep in the gallery
of the hall. On a bull's hide undressed he lay,
and over him he put fleeces of sheep that had
been slain for sacrifice and feast, and the dame
that kept the house threw a mantle over him.

But he slept not, for he had many thoughts
in his heart. As a man turns a paunch before
a fire, so Ulysses turned him from side to side,
thinking how, being one against many, he
might slay the suitors in his hall.

Then Athene came down from Olympus,
and stood over his head, having taken upon
herself the likeness of a woman. And she
spake, saying : " Wakest thou still, man of
many troubles ? Is not this thy house ? And
is not thy wife within, and thy son, being such
an one as thou wouldest have him to be ? '

Ulysses made answer : " This is true, O god-

264 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

dess. But I think how I, being one against
many, can slay the suitors in my hall. And
this also troubles me : how, if I slay them, shall
I escape the avengers of blood ? '

Then answered the goddess : " Verily, thou
art weak in faith. Some put trust in men, yet
men are weaker than the gods ; why trustest
not thou in me ? Verily, I am with thee, and
will keep thee to the end. But now sleep, for
to watch all the night is vexation of spirit."

So saying, she poured sleep upon his eyes
and went back to Olympus.

When the morning came Ulysses awoke,
and he took up the fleeces, and set them on a
seat in the hall, and the bull's hide he carried
without. Then he lifted up his hands to Zeus,
and prayed, saying, " O Father Zeus, if thou
hast led me to mine own country of good will,
then give me a sign."

And even as he spake Zeus thundered from
Olympus ; and Ulysses heard it, and was glad.
Also a woman at the mill spake a word of
omen. Twelve women there were that ground
the meal, wheat, and barley. Eleven of these

THE TRIAL OF THE BOW. 265

were now sleeping, for they had finished their
task; but this one, being weakest of all, was
still grinding. And now she stayed her work,
and said : " Surely, Father Zeus, this is a sign,
that thou hast thundered in a clear sky. Grant
now that this be the last meal that I shall grind
for the suitors in the house of Ulysses ! '

Afterwards came Telemachus, and spake to
the nurse, saying, " Hast thou given to the
guest food and bedding as is meet, or doth he
lie uncared for ? '

The nurse made answer : " The stranger
drank as much as he would, and ate till he
said that he had had enough ; but blankets
and a mattress he would not have ; on an
undressed hide he slept, with fleeces of sheep
above. Also we cast a mantle over him."

Next came the swineherd, leading three
fatted hogs, the best of all the herd. And
he said, " Stranger, do these men treat thee
well ? "

Ulysses made answer, " May the gods re-
quite them as they have dealt insolently with

me!'

266 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

Afterwards came Melanthius, the goatherd,
having goats for the feast of the day. And he
spake to Ulysses bitter words : " Wilt thou still
plague us, stranger, with thy begging ? Verily,
I think that we shall not part till we have
made trial of each other with our fists. Thy
begging is not to be borne ; and there are
other feasts whither thou mightest go."

But Ulysses answered him not a word.

Last came Philcetius, the neatherd, bring-
ing a barren heifer for the feast of the suitors.
He spake to Ulysses, saying : " May happiness
come to thee, stranger, hereafter ! Now thou
art encompassed with sorrows. Mine eyes are
full of tears as I behold thee, for it may be that
Ulysses is clad in vile garments like to these,
wandering about among men, if, indeed, is yet
alive. But if he is dead, that, indeed, is a great
sorrow. For he set me over his cattle, and
these are now increased beyond all count-
ing ; never have herds increased more plenti-
fully. Nevertheless, it vexeth my heart because
strangers are ever devouring them in his hall.

O C5

Verily, I would have fled long since, for the

THE TRIAL OF THE BO W. 26 J

thing is past all enduring, but that I hope to
see Ulysses yet come again to his own."

Then Ulysses made answer : " Neatherd,
thou art a man of an understanding heart.

Now hearken to what I shall say, and I will
confirm it with an oath. While thou art still
in this place, Ulysses shall come home, and
thou shalt see it with thine eyes, yea, and the
slaying of the suitors also."

And after awhile the suitors came and sat
down, as was their wont, to the feast. And
the servants bare to Ulysses, as Telemachus
had bidden, a full share with the others. And
when Ctesippus, a prince of Samos, saw this
(he was a man heedless of right and of the
gods), he said : " Is it well that this fellow
should fare even as we ? Look now at the
gift that I shall give him." Whereupon he
took a bullock's foot out of a basket wherein it
lay, and cast it at Ulysses.

But he moved his head to the left and
shunned it, and it flew on, marking the wall.
And Telemachus cried in srreat wrath : —

"It is well for thee, Ctesippus, that thou

268 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

didst not strike this stranger. For surely,
hadst thou done this thing, my spear had
pierced thee through, and thy father had
made good cheer, not for thy marriage, but
for thy burial."

Then said Aorelaus : "This is well said.

Telemachus should not be wronged, no, nor
this stranger. But, on the other hand, he
must bid his mother choose out of the suitors
whom she will, and marry him, nor waste our
time any more."

And Telemachus said : "It is well. She
shall marry whom she will. But from my
house I will never send her against her will.1

And the suitors laughed ; but their laughter

o o

was not of mirth, and the flesh which they ate
dripped with blood, and their eyes were full of
tears. And the eyes of the seer Theoclymenus
were opened, and he cried : —

" What ails you, miserable ones ? For your
heads and your faces and your knees are cov-
ered with darkness, and the voice of groaning
comes from you, and your cheeks are wet with
tears. Also the walls and the pillars are sprin-

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THE TRIAL OF THE BOW. 269

kled with blood, and the porch and the hall are
full of shadows that move towards hell, and the
sun has perished from the heaven, and an evil
mist is over all."

But they laughed to hear him ; and Eurym-
achus said, " This stranger is mad ; let us
send him out of doors into the market-place,
for it seems that here it is dark."

Also they scoffed at Telemachus, but he
heeded them not, but sat waiting till his father
should give the sign.

After this Penelope went to fetch the great
bow of Ulysses, which Iphitus had given to
him. From the peg on which it hung she took
it with its sheath, and, sitting down, she laid it
on her knees and wept over it, and after this
rose up and went to where the suitors sat feast-
ing in the hall. The bow she brought, and also
the quiver full of arrows, and standing by the
pillar of the dome, spake thus : —

" Ye suitors, who devour this house, making
pretence that ye wish to wed me, lo ! here is a
proof of your skill. Here is the bow of the
great Ulysses. Whoso shall bend it easiest

2/0 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

in his hands, and shoot an arrow most easily
through the helve-holes of the twelve axes that

Telemachus shall set up, him will I follow,
leaving this house, which I shall remember

only in my dreams."

Then she bade Eumaeus bear the bow and
the arrows to the suitors. And the good
swineherd wept to see his master's bow, and
Philaetius, the herdsman of the kine, wept also,
for he was a good man, and loved the house of
Ulysses.

Then Telemachus planted in due order the
axes wherein were the helve-holes, and was
minded himself to draw the bow ; and indeed
would have done the thing, but Ulysses signed
to him that he should not. Wherefore, he
said, " Methinks I am too weak and young ;
ye that are elder should try the first."

Then first Leiodes, the priest, who alone
among the suitors hated their evil ways, made
trial of the bow. But he moved it not, but
wearied his hands with it, for they were tender,
and unwont to toil. And he said, " I can-
not bend this bow ; let some other try ; but

THE TRIAL OF THE BOW. 2? I

think that it shall be grief and pain to many
this day."

And Antinoiis was wroth to hear such words,
and bade Melanthius bring forth from the
stores a roll of fat, that they might anoint the
string and soften it withal. So they softened
the string with fat, but not for that the more

could they bend it, for they tried all of them in
vain, till only Antinoiis and Eurymachus were
left, who, indeed, were the bravest and the
strongest of them all.

Now the swineherd and the herdsman of the
kine had gone forth out of the yard, and Ulys-
ses came behind them and said ; " What would
ye do if Ulysses were to come back to his
home ? Would ye fight for him or for the
suitors ? '

And both said that they would fight for him.

And Ulysses said : " It is even I who am
come back in the twentieth year, and ye, I
know, are glad at heart that I am come ; nor
know I of any one besides. And if ye will
help me as brave men to-day, wives shall ye
have, and possessions and houses near to mine

2/2 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

own. And ye shall be brothers and comrades
to Telemachus. And for a sign, behold this
scar, which the wild boar made when I hunted
with Autolycus."

Then they wept for joy and kissed Ulysses,
and he also kissed them. And he said to
Eumasus that he should bring the bow to him
when the suitors had tried their fortune there-
with ; also that he should bid the women keep
within doors, nor stir out if they should hear
the noise of battle. And Philaetius he bade
lock the doors of the hall, and fasten them
with a rope.

After this he came back to the hall, and
Eurymachus had the bow in his hands, and
sought to warm it at the fire. Then he essayed
to draw it, but could not. And he groaned

aloud, saying : " Woe is me ! not for loss of
this marriage only, for there are other women
to be wooed in Greece, but that we are so
much weaker than the great Ulysses. This is,
indeed, shame to tell."

Then said Antinous : " Not so ; to-day is a
holy day of the god of archers ; therefore we

THE TRIAL OF THE BOW. 273

could not draw the bow. But to-morrow will
we try once more, after due sacrifice to Apollo."

And this saying pleased them all ; but
Ulysses said, " Let me try this bow ; for I
would fain know whether I have such strength
as I had in former days."

At this all the suitors were wroth, and chiefly
Antinoiis, but Penelope said that it should be
so, and promised the man great gifts if he could
draw this bow.

But Telemachus spake thus : " Mother, the
bow is mine to give or to refuse. And no man
shall say me nay, if I will that this stranger
make trial of it. But do thou go to thy
chamber with thy maidens, and let men take
thought for these things."

And this he said, for that he would have her
depart from the hall forthwith, knowing what
should happen therein. But she marvelled to
hear him speak with such authority, and
answered not, but departed. And when Eu-
maeus would have carried the bow to Ulysses,
the suitors spake roughly to him, but Telema-
chus constrained him to go. Therefore he

2/4 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

took the bow and gave it to his master. Then
went he to Eurycleia, and bade her shut the
door of the women's chambers and keep them
within, whatsoever they might hear.

Then Ulysses handled the great bow, trying
it, whether it had taken any hurt, but the
suitors thought scorn of him. Then, when he
had found it to be without flaw, just as a min-
strel fastens a string upon his harp and strains
it to the pitch, so he strung the bow without
toil ; and holding the string in his right hand,
he tried its tone, and the tone was sweet as the
voice of a swallow. Then he took an arrow
from the quiver, and laid the notch upon the
string and drew it, sitting as he was, and the
arrow passed through every ring, and stood in
the wall beyond. Then he said to Telema-
chus : —

" There is yet a feast to be held before the
sun go down."

And he nodded the sign to Telemachus.

And forthwith the young man stood by him,
armed with spear and helmet and shield.

t/3

THE SLAYING OF THE SUITORS. 2/5

CHAPTER XXII.

THE SLAYING OF THE SUITORS.

THEN spake Ulysses among the suitors :
" This labour has been accomplished. Let me
try at yet another mark."

And he aimed his arrow at Antinolis. But
the man was just raising a cup to his lips,
thinking not of death, for who had thought
that any man, though mightiest of mortals,
would venture on such a deed, being one
among many ? Right through the neck passed
the arrow-head, and the blood gushed from his
nostrils, and he dropped the cup and spurned
the table from him.

And all the suitors, when they saw him fall,
leapt from their seats ; but when they looked,
there was neither spear nor shield upon the
wall. And they knew not whether it was by
chance or of set purpose that the stranger had

276 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

smitten him. But Ulysses then declared who
he was, saying : —

" Dogs, ye thought that I should never come
back ! Therefore have ye devoured my house,
and made suit to my wife while I yet lived, and
feared not the gods nor regarded men. There-
fore a sudden destruction is come upon you
all."

Then when all the others trembled for fear,
Eurymachus said : " If thou be indeed Ulysses
of Ithaca, thou hast said well. Foul wrong has
been done to thee in the house and in the field.
But lo ! he who was the mover of it all lieth
here, even Antinolis. Nor was it so much this
marriage that he sought, as to be King of this
land, having destroyed thy house. But we will
pay thee back for all that we have devoured,
even twenty times as much."

But Ulysses said : " Speak not of paying
back. My hands shall not cease from slaying
till I have taken vengeance on you all."

Then said Eurymachus to his comrades :
" This man will not stay his hands. He will
smite us all with his arrows where he stands.

THE SLAYING OF THE SUITORS. 277

But let us win the door, and raise a cry in the
city ; soon then will this archer have shot his
last."

And he rushed on, with his two-edged knife
in his hand. But as he rushed, Ulysses smote
him on the breast with an arrow, and he fell
forwards. And when Amphinomus came on,
Telemachus slew him with his spear, but drew
not the spear from the body, lest some one
should smite him unawares.

Then he ran to his father and said, " Shall I
fetch arms for us and our helpers ? '

" Yea," said he, " and tarry not, lest my
arrows be spent."

So he fetched from the armoury four shields
and four helmets and eight spears. And he
and the servants, Eumaeus and Philaetius,
armed themselves. Also Ulysses, when his
arrows were spent, donned helmet and shield,
and took a mighty spear in each hand. But
Melanthius, the goatherd, crept up to the
armoury and brought down therefrom twelve
helmets and shields, and spears as many. And
when Ulysses saw that the suitors were arming

2/8 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

themselves, he feared greatly, and said to his
son : —

" There is treachery here. It is one of the
women, or, it may be, Melanthius, the goat-
herd."

And Telemachus said, " This fault is mine,
my father, for I left the door of the chamber
unfastened."

And soon Eumaeus spied Melanthius steal-
ing up to the chamber again, and followed him,
and Philaetius with him. There they caught
him, even as he took a helmet in one hand and
a shield in the other, and bound his feet and
hands, and fastened him aloft by a rope to the
beams of the ceiling.

Then these two went back to the hall, and
there also came Athene, having the shape of
Mentor. Still, for she would yet further try
the courage of Ulysses and his son, she helped
them not as yet, but, changing her shape, sat on
the roof-beam like unto a swallow.

And then cried Agelaiis : " Friends, Mentor
is gone, and helps them not. Let us not cast
our spears at random, but let six come on

THE SLAYING OF THE SUITORS. 279

together, if, perchance, we may prevail against
them."

Then they cast their spears, but Athene
turned them aside, one to the pillar, and another
to the door, and another to the wall. But
Ulysses and Telemachus and the two herds-
men slew each his man ; and yet again they
did so, and again. Only Amphimedon wounded
Telemachus, and Ctesippus grazed the shoulder
of Eumaeus. But Telemachus struck down
Amphimedon, and the herdsman of the kine
slew Ctesippus, saying : " Take this, for the ox-
foot which thou gavest to our guest." And all
the while Athene waved her flaming aegis shield
from above, and the suitors fell as birds are
scattered and torn by eagles.

Then Leiodes, the priest, made supplication
to Ulysses, saying : " I never wrought evil in
this house, and would have kept others from
it, but they would not. Naught have I done
save serve at the altar; wherefore, slay me not."

And Ulysses made reply, " That thou hast
served at the altar of these men is enough, and
also that thou wouldest wed my wife."

280 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

So he slew him ; but Phemius, the minstrel,
he spared, for he had sung among the suitors
in the hall, of compulsion, and not of good
will ; and also Medon, the herald, bidding them
go into the yard without. There they sat,
holding by the altar and looking fearfully
every way, for yet they feared that they should
die.

So the slaughtering of the suitors was
ended; and now Ulysses bade cleanse the
hall and wash the benches and the tables with
water, and purify them with sulphur. And
when this was done, that Eurycleia, the nurse,
should go to Penelope and tell her that her
husband was indeed returned.

THE END OF THE WANDERING. 281

CHAPTER XXIII.

THE END OF THE WANDERING.

EURYCLEIA went to the chamber of her mis-
tress, bearing the glad tidings. She made
haste in her great joy, and her feet stumbled
one over the other. And she stood by the
head of Penelope, and spake, saying : " Awake,
dear child, and see with thine eyes that which
thou hast desired so long. For, indeed, Ulys-
ses hath come back, and hath slain the men
that devoured his substance."

But Penelope made answer : " Surely, dear
nurse, the gods have bereft thee of thy sense ;
and verily, they can make the wisdom of the
wise to be foolishness, and they can give wis-
dom to the simple. Why dost thou mock me,
rousing me out of my sleep, the sweetest that
hath ever come to my eyes since the day when
Ulysses sailed for Troy, most hateful of cities ?
Go, get thee to the chamber of the women !

282 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

Had another of the maids roused me in this
fashion, I had sent her back with a sharp
rebuke. But thine old age protects thee."

Then said the nurse : " I mock thee not,
dear child. In very truth Ulysses is here.
He is the stranger to whom such dishonour
was done. But Telemachus knew long since
who he was, and hid the matter, that they
might take vengeance on the suitors."

O <— '

Then was Penelope glad, and she leapt from
bed, and fell upon the neck of the old woman,
weeping, and saying, " Tell me "now the truth,
whether, indeed, he hath come home, and hath
slain the suitors, he being but one man, and
they many."

The nurse made answer : " How it was done
I know not ; only I heard the groaning of men
that were slain. Amazed did we women sit in
our chamber till thy son called me. Then I
found Ulysses standing among the dead, who
lay one upon another. Verily, thou hadst
been elad at heart to see him, so like to lion

was he, all stained with blood and the labour
of the fight. And now the suitors lie in a

THE END OF THE WANDERING. 283

heap, and he is purifying his house with brim-
stone. But come, that ye may have an end
of all the sorrow that ye have endured, for thy
desire is fulfilled. Thy husband hath come
back, and hath avenged him to the full on
these evil men."

But Penelope said : " Dear nurse, be not too
bold in thy joy. Thou knowest how gladly I
would see him. But this is not he ; it is one
of the gods that hath slain the suitors, being
wroth at their insolence and wrong-doing. But
Ulysses himself hath perished."

Then the nurse spake, saying : " What is
that thou sayest ? That thy husband will
return no more, when he is even now in his
own house ? Nay, thou art, indeed, slow to
believe. Hear now this manifest token that
I espied with mine eyes, — the scar of the
wound that long since a wild boar dealt him
with his tusk. I saw it when I washed his
feet, and would fain have told thee, but he
laid his hand upon my mouth, and in his
wisdom suffered me not to speak."

To her Penelope made answer : " It is hard

284 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

for thee to know the purposes of the gods.
Nevertheless, I will go to my son, that I may see
the suitors dead, and the man that slew them."

So she went and sat in the twilight by the
other wall, and Ulysses sat by a pillar, with
eyes cast down, waiting till his wife should
speak to him. But she was sore perplexed ;
for now she seemed to know him, and now she
knew him not, being in such evil case, for he
had not suffered that the women should put
new robes upon him.

And Telemachus said : " Mother, evil mother,
sittest thou apart from my father, and speakest
not to him ? Surely thy heart is harder than a
stone."

But Ulysses said : " Let be, Telemachus.
Thy mother will know that which is true in
•3-ood time. But now let us hide this slaughter

o o

for awhile, lest the friends of these men seek
vengeance against us. Wherefore, let there be
music and dancing in the hall, so that men shall

say, ' This is the wedding of the Queen, and
there is joy in the palace,' and know not of the
truth."

C/5

O
O

THE END OF THE WANDERING, 285

So the minstrel played and the women danced.
And meanwhile Ulysses went to the bath, and
clothed himself in bright apparel, and came
back to the hall, and Athene made him fair and
young to see. Then he sat him down as before,
over against his wife, and said : —

" Surely, O lady, the gods have made thee
harder of heart than all women besides. Would
other wife have kept away from her husband,
coming back now after twenty years ? '

And when she doubted yet, he spake again :
" Hear thou this, Penelope, and know that
it is I indeed. I will tell thee of the fashion of
my bed. There grew an olive in the inner
court, with a stem of the bigness of a pillar.
Round this did I build the chamber, and I
roofed it over, and put doors upon it. Then
I lopped off the boughs of the olive, and
made it into the bedpost. Afterwards, begin-
ning from this, I wrought the bedstead till I
had finished it, inlaying the work with gold and
silver and ivory. And within I fastened a band
of ox-hide that had been dyed with purple.
Whether the bedstead be now fast in its place,

286 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

or whether some one hath moved it — and
verily, it was no light thing to move — I know
not. But this was its fashion of old."

Then Penelope knew him, that he was her
husband indeed, and ran to him, and threw her
arms about him and kissed him, saying: " Par-
don me, my lord, if I was slow to know thee ;
for ever I feared, so many wiles have men, that
some one should deceive me, saying that he
was my husband. But now I know this, that
thou art he and not another."

And they wept over each other and kissed
each other. So did Ulysses come back to his
home after twenty years.

THE TRIUMPH OF ULYSSES. 287

CHAPTER XXIV.

THE TRIUMPH OF ULYSSES.

THE suitors being slain, Hermes led their
souls down to the dwellings of the dead, hav-
ing in his hand the rod of gold wherewith he

o o

toucheth the eyes of men, causing some to
sleep and some to wake, and led them down ;
and they followed after with a clattering noise,
like to the noise of bats when they fly to and
fro in a cavern. Then they went along the
dark waters of death, by the side of the stream
of Ocean, and the gates of the Sun, and the
land of dreams, till they came to the meadow
of asphodel, where dwell the spirits of them
that have lived their life. There they saw the
spirit of Achilles, and of Patroclus, and of An-
tilochus, son of Nestor, and of Ajax ; and after
these the spirit of Agamemnon, and with him
they that had perished in his company by the
hand of ^Egisthus.

288 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

Then spake Achilles to Agamemnon :
" Truly, son of Atreus, men were wont to
say that Zeus loved thee above all others,
making thee ruler over many valiant men in
the land of Troy. Nevertheless, the doom of
death came upon thee after an evil sort. Bet-
ter hadst thou died before the walls of Troy,
for then had the Greeks raised for thee a
mighty tomb ! '

To him the spirit of Agamemnon made
answer : " Happy wert thou, son of Peleus,
in that thou diedst far a\vay from the land
of Greece. Many valiant men of the sons of
Troy and of the Greeks were slain around
thee, where thou wast lying with the dust of
the battle about thee, forgetting all thy craft
of war. All that day we fought, and had not
ceased but that Zeus stayed the battle with a
whirlwind. Then we carried thee back to the
ships, and laid thy body on a bed, and washed
it with water and anointed it with ointment.
And even as we sat weeping about thee, came
thy mother with the deathless daughters of the
sea ; and we heard a terrible voice and were

THE TRIUMPH OF ULYSSES. 289

sore afraid. Then had we fled to the ships but
that Nestor, the wise old man, stayed us, say-
ing, ' Tarry ye here, sons of the Greeks, for
the mother of Achilles cometh with the dau^h-

ters of the sea to mourn for her son.'

" Then we feared no more ; and the daugh-
ters of the sea stood about thee, making lamen-
tation, and put on thee clothing of the gods.
And the nine Muses sang thy dirge, answering
one the other with a very lovely voice ; and
there was not one of the Greeks but wept, so
sweetly did they sing. Seventeen nights and
days as many we bewailed thee, gods and men
mingled together ; and on the eighteenth day
we kindled a great fire and burnt thy body.
Many sheep and oxen did we slay ; and thou
didst lie upon the pile with the garments of the
gods about thee, being anointed with much
ointment and honey ; and the chiefs ran round
the burning pile clad in their armour, and the
cry of the host went up to heaven. And when
the flame had consumed thy body, then we
gathered thy white bones together and laid
them in an urn of gold that thy mother had

290 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

brought, for Dionysus had given it to her, and
it was the fire-god's workmanship. And with
thy bones were mingled the bones of Patro-
clus ; and near to them, but apart, were the
bones of Nestor's son, Antilochus, whom thou
didst love beyond all thy comrades, save Patro-
clus only. And for you three the Greeks made
a great tomb upon a jutting rock, near to the
Hellespont, that men who pass thereby may
see it for all time to come. And thy mother
brought prizes for which the sons of the
Greeks might contend in running, wrestling,
and the like. Truly I have seen the burying
of many men, when the young men gird up
their loins to contend together, doing honour
to some king that is dead, but never have I
seen such a burying as thine, so fair were the
prizes that Thetis of the silver feet set before
the chiefs of the host. Verily, thou wast dear
to the gods, and thy name shall be famous for-
ever ; but as for me, I died an evil death by
the hands of yEgisthus and of my accursed
wife."

Thus did they speak together. And mean-

THE TRIUMPH OF ULYSSES. 29 1

while the souls of the suitors came near, an
exceeding great company. And the heroes
marvelled to see them. And when King
Agamemnon looked upon them he knew
Amphimedon; for he had been his guest-
friend in old time. And he said : " Tell me,
Amphimedon, how is this, that ye come hither
in this fashion, chiefs all of you, and all of you
of equal age. Did Poseidon slay you on ship-
board, raising stormy winds and great waves
of the sea against you? or did ye fall by the
hand of the enemy on the land ? Tell me, I
pray thee, for thou art a friend by inheritance.
Dost thou not remember how I came, and my
brother Menelalis with me, to the house of thy
father, that we might persuade Ulysses to go
with us against Troy ? '

To him Amphimedon made answer : " All
this I remember. And as to the fashion of our
death, I will tell thee truly. We sought the
wife of Ulysses in marriage, thinking that he
was dead. But she would none of our wooing,
but devised this device. She set up a great
loom and said: 'Suffer me to tarry till I have

2Q2 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

made a shroud for the burial of Laertes, that
is father to my husband ; that I may have no
reproach among the daughters of the Greeks.
And when I have made it, then will I marry
the one whom I shall choose ! ' And when we
had consented thereto, she deceived us, for she
wrought the shroud by day, but at night she
undid all that she had wrought. So she de-
ceived us for the space of three years ; and in
the fourth year we discovered her deceit.
And after this an evil fate brought Ulysses to
his home again ; and he, and his son Telem-
achus, and Eumaeus, the swineherd, contrived
our death. For he bade Queen Penelope
bring forth the bow that was his, and say that
whosoever should bend it, he should be her
husband. So we took the bow, but there was
not one of us that could bend it ; but when
Ulysses took it in his hand he bent it right
easily. Then he stood on the threshold of the
chamber, and shot arrows against us. Anti-
nous first of all he slew, and the rest after-
wards, so that not one of us was left alive.
And now our bodies lie uncared for in his

THE TRIUMPH OF ULYSSES. 293

hall, nor is there any one to mourn for us or
to bury us."

Then said Agamemnon : " Happy art thou,
Ulysses, and mightily hast thou avenged thy
wife. And she verily hath a heart that is good
and true. Never shall her fame perish from
among men. But as for Clytemnestra, she
shall have an evil report forever because she
slew her husband."

So these spake together in the dwellings of
the dead. Meanwhile, Ulysses went forth
from his palace to the dwelling of Laertes, that
was in the fields. There the old man dwelt,
and a woman of Sicily cared for him. And
Ulysses spake to his son and to the shepherds,
saying : " Go ye into the house and prepare a
meal of swine's flesh, as savoury as may be ;
and I will make trial of my father, whether he
will know me. For it may well be that he
hath forgotten me, seeing that I have been now
a long time absent."

So spake Ulysses, and gave also his arms to
the men to keep for him. So they went into
the house. And Ulysses went to the orchard,

294 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

making search for his father. There he found

not Dolius, that was steward to Laertes, nor
any one of his servants, nor of his sons, for
they were gone to make a fence about the
field. Only the old man he found ; and he
was busy digging about a tree. Filthy was
the tunic that he had about him and sewn
with thread ; and he had coverings of ox-hide
on his legs to keep them from the thorns, and
gloves upon his hands, and a cap of dog-skin
on his head. And when Ulysses saw him, how
that he was worn with old age and very sor-
rowful, he stood under a pear tree and wept.
Then for awhile he took counsel with himself,
whether he should kiss his father and embrace
him, and make himself known, and tell him
how he had come back to his home, or should
first inquire of him, and learn all that he would
know. And he judged it best first to inquire.
So he came near to the old man ; and the old
man was digging about a tree, having his head
bent down.

Then said Ulysses : " Verily, old man, thou
wantest not in skill to deal with an orchard

THE TRIUMPH OF ULYSSES. 295

And truly, neither fig, nor vine, nor olive, nor
pear may flourish in a garden without care.
But yet another thing will I say to thee, and
be not thou wroth when thou hearest it. Thy
garden, indeed, is well cared for, but thou thy-
self art in evil plight. For old age lieth heavy
upon thee, and thou art clad in filthy garments.
Yet truly thou art not idle, that thy master thus
dealeth with thee ; nor, indexed, art thou in any
wise like unto a slave ; for thy face and thy
stature are as it might be of a king. Such an
one as thou art should wash himself, and sit
down to meat, and sleep softly ; for such is the
due of old age. But come, tell me truly, whose
servant art thou? Whose orchard dost thou
tend ? Tell me this also : Is this, indeed, the
land of Ithaca to which I am come ? This,
indeed, a certain man that I met as I came
hither told me, but he seemed to be but of
scanty wit, nor would he listen to my words,
nor tell me of a guest-friend that I have who

dwelleth in this place, whether he be alive or
dead. I entertained him a long time since in
my house, and never was there straiiger whom

296 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

I loved more than him. And he said that he
was the son of Laertes, and that he came from
the land of Ithaca. Gifts also I gave him,
seven talents of gold, and a mixing-bowl of sil-
ver, wrought about with flowers, and twelve
cloaks that had never been washed, and rugs
as many, and four cloths, and tunics as many
also. Also I gave him four women, fair to look
upon, and skilled in all manner of handiwork."
To him Laertes made answer, weeping the
while : " Doubt not, stranger, that thou art
come to the land of which thou inquirest.
But unrighteous and violent men have it in
possession. But as for the son of Laertes,
hadst thou found him here, verily, he had sent
thee away with many gifts, even such as thou
gavest to him. But tell me truly, is it long
time since thou didst give him entertainment ?
For, indeed, he is my son, unhappy man that I
am. Surely either he hath been drowned in
the sea, and the fishes have devoured him, or
wild beasts and birds of the air have eaten him
upon the land. And neither father nor
mother, nor his wife, Penelope, most prudent

THE TRIUMPH OF ULYSSES. 297

of women, could make lamentation for him and
lay him out for his burial. But tell me, who
art thou ? Where is thy city, and what thy
parentage ? Did thine own ship bring thee
hither, and thy companions with thee, or didst
thou come as a trader upon the ship of
another ? '

Then said Ulysses : " All this I will tell thee
truly. I am of the city of Alybas, and my
father is Apheidas, and my name Eperitus.
It was of the doin^ of the 2fods that I came

o o

hither from the land of Sicily, and not of mine
own will. And my ship is moored hard by.
As for Ulysses, it is now the fifth year since he
left me. Yet verily, the omens were good
when he went forth on his journey, so that we
both rejoiced, thinking that he would journey
safely, and that we should be friends the one
to the other in the time to come."

So spake Ulysses ; and when the old man,
his father, heard these words, great grief came
upon him, and he took up the dust in his
hands and poured it upon the white hairs of
his head. And the heart of Ulysses was

298 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

moved within him as he saw it, and he was
ready to weep when he beheld his father.
Then he threw his arms about him and kissed
him, and said : " My father, here am I, thy son
for whom thou weepest. Lo ! I am come back
to my native country after twenty years, and I
have avenged myself on them that sought my
wife in marriage, slaying them all."

To him the old man made answer, " If thou
art my very son Ulysses, tell me some clear
sign whereby I may know thee."

Then said Ulysses : " See, now, this scar
upon my thigh where the wild boar wounded
me on Mount Parnassus. For thou and my
mother sent me to my grandfather Autolycus,
and I was wounded in the hunting:. And let

this also be a si^n to thee. I will tell thee

\vhat trees of the orchard thou gavest me long
since, when I was a boy and walked with thee,
inquiring of thee their names. Thirteen pear
trees didst thou give me, and ten apple trees,
and of fig trees two score. Fifty rows also of
vines didst thou promise to give me when the
time of grapes should come."

THE TRIUMPH OF ULYSSES. 299

And the old man's heart was moved within
him, and his knees failed him, for he knew
that the signs were true. And he threw his

arms about his son, and his son took him to
him, and the spirit of the old man revived,
and he said : " Now I know that there are
gods in heaven when I hear that these evil
men, the suitors, have been punished for their
wrong-doing. Nevertheless, I fear me much

o o

lest their kinsmen should stir up the men of
Ithaca and of the islands round about against

us.'

Then said Ulysses : " Trouble not thyself
with these matters, my father. Let us go
rather to the house. There are Telemachus
and Eumaeus, and the keeper of the herds,
and they have made ready, that we may dine."

So they went to the house, and found Te-
lemachus and his companions cutting flesh for
the dinner and mixing the wine. Then the

woman of Sicilv washed the old man Laertes

•/

and anointed him with oil, and clad him in a
fair cloak. And Athene also stood by him,
and made him taller and sturdier to look on

300 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

than before. And his son marvelled to behold
him, so fair he was and like to the gods that
live forever, so that he spake to him, saying,
" O my father, surely one of the gods that live
forever hath made thee fair to look upon and
tall ! "

And Laertes made answer : " Would to God
that I had stood by you yesterday, taking ven-
geance on the suitors, such as I was in the old
time when I took the fair city of Nericus.
Many a man had I slain with my spear, and
thou wouldest have rejoiced in thy heart."

Thus spake they together. And when the
dinner was ready they sat down to meat ; and
the old man Dolius, with his sons, approached,
coming in from their labour; for the woman of
Sicily, that was the mother of the lads, had
called them. And when they saw Ulysses, they
stood amazed and speechless. And Ulysses
said, " Cease to wonder, old man, at this sight,
and sit down to meat ; truly we are ready for
cur meat, and have waited long time for you."

Then Dolius ran to him, stretching forth

both his hands, and caught the hand of Ulysses

THE TRIUMPH OF ULYSSES. 301

and kissed it on the wrist. And he spake,
saying : " Right glad are we at thy coming, for
we looked not for thee. Surely it is of the
gods that thou hast returned. May all things
be well with thee. But tell me this. Knoweth
Queen Penelope of thy coming, or shall I send
a messenger to tell her ? "

" Verily, she knoweth it," said Ulysses.
Then the old man sat down to meat, and his
sons also, when they had greeted Ulysses.

In the meanwhile there spread through the
city the tidings how the suitors had been slain;
and the kindred of the men came to the house
of Ulysses with many groans and tears, and
carried away the dead bodies and buried them.
But such as came from other lands they put
on shipboard, that they might carry them to
the sepulchres of their fathers. And when
these things were ended they gathered them-
selves together in the market-place; and
Eupeithes stood up amongst them, being sore
troubled in his heart for his son Antinolis,
whom Ulysses had slain first of all the suitors.
He stood up, therefore, in the midst, and spake :

302 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

" Surely this man hath wrought great evils in
this land. First he took comrades with him to
Troy, many in number and brave. These all
he lost, and their ships also. And now he hath
come hither and slain the princes of the people.
Shame it were to us, yea, among the genera-
tions to come, if we avenge not ourselves on
them that have slain our sons and our
brothers. Verily, I desire not life, if such
should go unpunished. Come, therefore, let
us make haste lest they cross over the sea and
so escape."

So Eupeithes spake, weeping the while.
And all the people had pity to hear him. But
Medon, the herald, stood up in the assembly
and spake, saying: " Hear me, men of Ithaca!
Verily, Ulysses did not all these things without
the helping of the gods that live forever. I,
indeed, saw with mine own eyes one of the
gods standing by Ulysses, being like to Prince
Mentor in shape. By Ulysses there stood a
god, and strengthened him ; and another was
there among the suitors, troubling them so that
they fell."

THE TRIUMPH OF ULYSSES. 303

Thus spake Medon, the herald, and after him
stood up Alitherses, the seer, that knew all
things that had been and should be hereafter,
and spake, saying : " It is of your folly, ye men
of Ithaca, that all these things have come to
pass. Ye would not hearken to me, no, nor to
Mentor, nor wrould ye restrain your sons from
their folly. Great wickedness did they work,
wasting the goods of a brave man, and making
suit to his wife, for they thought not that he
would return. Come now, hearken unto me,
lest some worse evil befall you."

Then some indeed rose up and made haste
to depart ; and these were the greater part ;
but the others remained in their places, for
they liked not the counsel of Medon and the
seer, but regarded the words of Eupeithes.
Then they clad themselves in their armour
and marched to the city, Eupeithes leading
them.

Then spake Athene to Zeus : " Tell me, my
father, what dost thou purpose in thy heart?
Wilt thou that there be strife or friendship
between these two ? '

304 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

To her Zeus made answer : " Why dost thou
inquire this thing of me ? Was it not of thy
contriving that Ulysses slew the suitors in his
palace? Order it as thou wilt. But let there
be peace and friendship in the end, that Ulysses
may prosper in the land, and the people dwell
in happiness about him."

Then Athene departed, and came to the
land of Ithaca.

And when Ulysses and they that sat with
him had made an end of eating and drinking,
the King said, " Let some one go forth and
see whether these men are near at hand."

So the son of Dolius went forth. And as
he stood on the threshold he saw them ap-
proaching, and cried, " They are even now
close at hand ; let us arm ourselves in all
haste."

So they armed themselves. With Ulysses
were Telemachus, and Eumaeus, and the keeper
of the herds. Also there stood with him six
sons of Dolius ; and the two old men also,
Laertes and Dolius, though their heads were
white with age. And as they went forth from

THE TRIUMPH OF ULYSSES. 305

the house Athene came near, having the form
and the voice of Prince Mentor. And when
Ulysses saw her, he was glad at heart, and
spake to Telemachus, saying, " I know thee
well, my son, that thou wilt bear thyself
bravely, and do no dishonour to the house
of thy fathers, that have ever been famous
in the land for courage and manhood."

Telemachus answered, " This, my father,
thou shalt see for thyself, if thou wilt."

And Laertes was glad at heart, and said,
" How happy is this day, in the which my son
and my grandson contend one with the other
in valour."

Then Athene came near to the old man, and
said, " Laertes, pray thou first to Athene and
Father Zeus, and then cast thy spear."

So she spake, and breathed great strength
into his heart. And having prayed, he cast
his spear, and smote Eupeithes through the
helmet, so that he fell dead upon the ground.
Then Ulysses and his son fell upon the men
of Ithaca with swords and two-handed spears.
Verily, they had slain them all, but that

306 THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY.

Athene cried aloud, saying, " Cease, men of
Ithaca, from the battle, for it is too hard for
you."

And the men were sore afraid when they
heard her voice, and threw their arms upon
the ground and fled, if haply they might
escape to the city. And when Ulysses would
have pursued after them, Zeus cast a thunder-
bolt from heaven, so that it fell before the feet
of Athene. And Athene cried, " Cease from
the battle, son of Laertes, lest Zeus be wroth
with thee."

So Ulysses was stayed from the battle ; and
Zeus and Athene made peace between the
King and the men of Ithaca.

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BOOKS FOR THE YOUNG.

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Gordon. By Col. Sir W. BUTLER.

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Clive. By Col. Sir CHARLES WILSON.

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EWING (J. H.). We and the World. A Story for Boys. By
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tions by W. L. Jones, and a Pictorial Design on the Cover.
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" A very good book it is, full of adventure graphically told. The style
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vith some pretty touches of feeling. Like all Mrs. Ewing's tales, it is
sound, sensible, and wholesome." — Times.

A Flat Iron for a Farthing ; or, Some Passages in the Life
of an Only Son. With 12 Illustrations by H. ALLING-
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Cheap Illustrated Edition. 4to. In paper boards,
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" Let every parent and guardian who wishes to be amused, and at the
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Some Passages in the Life of an Only Son," by J. H. Evving. We will
answer for the delight with which they will read it themselves, and we do
not doubt that the young and fortunate recipients will also like it. The
story is quaint, original, and altogether delightful." — Athenaeum.

Mrs. Overtheway's Remembrances. Illustrated with nine
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be accused of extravagance when we say that, without exception, ' Mrs.
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8 MACMILLAN &> CO:S

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" It is scarcely necessary to say that Mrs. Ewing's book is one of the
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A Great Emergency. (A very Ill-Tempered Family; Our
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Cheap Illustrated Edition. 4to. In paper boards, 35
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and that is saying a very great deal. From the first to the last the book
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vives childhood ; and, moreover, with inexhaustible quiet humor, which
is never anything but innocent and well-bred, never priggish, and never
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Jan of the Windmill. A Story of the Plains. With 11
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5th Edition. 121110. $1.00.

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Melchior's Dream. (The Blackbird's Nest ; Friedrich's Bal-
lad ; A Bit of Green ; Monsieur the Viscount's Friend ;
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The Brownies. (The Land of Lost Toys; Three Christ-
mas Trees ; An Idyl of the Wood ; Christmas Crackers ;
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FREILIGRATH-KROEKER. Alice, and other Fairy Plays for
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eight original full-page Plates. Cloth, extra gilt. Gilt
edges. 2d Edition. I2mo. $1.25.

"They have stood a practical ordeal, and stood it triumphantly." —
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GASKOIN (Mrs. H.). Children's Treasury of Bible Stories.

Edited by the Rev. G. F. MACLEAR, D.D. iSmo. Each,
30 cents.

Part I. Old Testament.
II. New Testament.
III. Three Apostles : St. James, St. Paul, St. John.

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BURNE-JONES, HOLMAN HUNT, TENNIEL, WOLF, and

others. Two Series. Each, 35 cents.

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The Children's Garland from the Best Poets. Selected and
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The Fairy Book. The best popular Fairy Tales. Selected
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Tom Brown's School Days. By an OLD BOY.

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BOOKS FOR THE YOUNG. 11

HALLWARD (R. F.). Flowers of Paradise. Music — Verse —
Design — Illustration. Printed in colors by Edmund
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ought soon to hear of Mr. Hallward again ; he shows much promise." —
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KEARY. WORKS BY A. AND E. KEARY.

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12 MACMILLAN & CO:S

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Herr Baby.

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Tell Me a Story.

The Cuckoo Clock.

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Rosy.

Two Little Waifs.

Christmas-Tree Land.

" Carrots," Just a Little Boy. -

" Us : " An Old-fashioned Story.

Four Winds Farm.

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14 MACMILLAN &• CO.'S

PATMORE (C.) . The Children's Garland from the Best Poets.

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PROCTER (A. A.). Legends and Lyrics. By ADELAIDE
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BOOKS FOR THE YOUNG. 15

TIM. A Story of School Life. i2mo. Cloth. $1.00.

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WHITE (GILBERT) . Natural History and Antiquities of Sel-
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WILSON. The Five Gateways of Knowledge. By GEORGE
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YONGE. WORKS OF CHARLOTTE M. YONGE. Uniform Edition
of the Tales. I2mo. Cloth. $i.ooeach.

The Heir of Redclyffe. Illustrated.

Heartsease ; or, The Brother's Wife. Illustrated.

Hopes and Fears. Illustrated.

Dynevor Terrace. Illustrated.

The Daisy Chain. Illustrated.

The Trial : More Links of the Daisy Chain. Illustrated.

Pillars of the House ; or, Under Wode Under Rode. 2 vols.
Illustrated.

The Young Stepmother. Illustrated.

The Clever Woman of the Family. Illustrated.

The Three Brides. Illustrated.

My Young Alcides. Illustrated.

The Caged Lion. Illustrated.

The Dove in the Eagle's Nest. Illustrated.

The Chaplet of Pearls. Illustrated.

Lady Hester, and the Danvers Papers. Illustrated.

Magnum Bonum. Illustrated.

Love and Life. Illustrated.

16 MACMILLAN & CO.'S BOOKS FOR THE YOUNG.

Unknown to History. A Story of the Captivity of Mary of
Scotland.

Stray Pearls. Memoirs of Margaret de Ribaumont, Vis-
countess of Belaise.

The Armourer's 'Prentices.

The Two Sides of the Shield.

Nuttie's Father.

Scenes and Characters ; or, Eighteen Months at Beechcroft.

Chantry House.

A Modern Telemachus.

Beechcroft at Rockstone.

Womankind. A Book for Mothers and Daughters.

A Reputed Changeling ; or, Three Seventh Years, Two Cen-
turies Age.

The Two Penniless Princesses. A Story of the Time of
James I. of Scotland.

That Stick Shortly.

The Population of an Old Pear Tree ; or, Stories of Insect
Life. From the French of E. Van Bruysel. With Illus-
trations. New Edition. 161110. $1.00.

A Book of Worthies : Gathered from the Old Histories and
Written Anew. Golden Treasury Series. iSmo. $1.00.

The Story of the Christians and Moors in Spain. With

Vignette. Golden Treasury Series. iSmo. $r.oo.

The Prince and the Page : A Tale of the Last Crusade.

Illustrated. New Edition. Globe 8vo. $1.00.

P's and Q's ; or, The Question of Putting Upon. With
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The Lances of Lynwood. With Illustrations. Globe Svo.

$1.00.

Little Lucy's Wonderful Globe. With Illustrations. Globe
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The Little Duke. With Illustrations. Globe Svo. $1.00.

A Storehouse of Stories. Edited by C. M. YONGE. Series
I and 2. i6mo. Each, $1.00.

THE MACMILLAN COMPANY,

66 FIFTH AVENUE, NEW YORK.

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